ZOOLOGY BOUNCES BACK TO WINNING FORM

By Brodie Nickson | Saturday, March 28, 2026

Peter and Will Hulbert will likely ‘freshen’ tough stayer Zoology as they eye potential winter carnival targets following his third Australian win at Doomben.

Co-trainer Will Hulbert hasn’t set his sights on any particular races, however, will keep his options open with an abundance of middle-distance options in the months ahead.

Saturday’s triumph in the XXXX Open Handicap (2000m) at Doomben was Zoology’s second victory for the stable and almost an exact replica of his previous win over the track and trip last year.

Three-kilogram claiming apprentice Chelsea Baker provided the gelding a textbook steer, settling in the box seat before presenting off heels at the top of the straight and holding off the in-form Prince Levi by a length.

Baker made the most of the late pick-up ride after receiving simple instructions in the yard.

“Chelsea only got the late pick-up so she obviously didn’t have the chance to do any form,” Hulbert said.

“So as they were in the parade, I showed her the replay of when he won here over 2000m and just said ‘do this’, and she did so it worked out good.”

The win was a deserved reward for owner Anthony Sterpin, who maintained belief in the gelding despite failing to live up to his expensive price tag when trained by Ciaron Maher.

Zoology arrived on Australian shores with big expectations after Maher paid a ‘significant sum’ to purchase fifty percent of the Zoustar gelding as a three-year-old in Europe.

Zoology only won one race at Eagle Farm in seven Australian starts before connections listed him on Inglis Digital.

Sterpin, who owned a share in the horse when trained by Maher, purchased Zoology back online for $90,000 and sent him to the Hulbert yard, where he already had shares in multiple horses.

After an impressive first preparation for the stable, which included a dominant victory at Doomben in a 2000m BM78 under apprentice Rob Thorburn, Hulbert was originally underwhelmed with how Zoology had returned this time in.

After four starts over a mile, Hulbert dropped Zoology back to 1350m at Ipswich before bouncing back with a brave sixth in the Gold Coast Stakes a fortnight ago.
“I thought he was back in form (leading into today), his last run was really good,” Hulbert said.

“I backed him that day for a stack and he had to do too much work to lead.

“Up to his right trip now and ridden perfect, when he gets ridden like that he will be hard to beat in Brisbane over 2000m.

“He is the sort of horse it took him a very long time to come up and I sort of said a few starts ago to the owner ‘I think he has finally got his mojo back.

“I don’t know why it took so many runs, maybe because I gave him a proper spell and I only got him last prep after he had been in the paddock for a week or two.

“Maybe it took a while to get his match fitness back.”

Despite Zoology’s best form previously being produced on wet ground, Hulbert dismissed any thoughts that may still be the case.

“Everyone labelled him a ‘wet tracker’ only, but he has only won two races for me and they have been on Good 4’s,” Hulbert said.

Despite a career best of placing third in the Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) last preparation, Hulbert is hesitant to target the race again and is confident Zoology can stand up to the grade in his home state.

“I would like to think, as silly as it sounds, there is probably an easier race here (in Queensland) during the early carnival where there is not as many visitors (from Sydney),” Hulbert said.

“He got beat in the Grafton Cup by John O’Shea and Annabel Archibald, whose Sydney horses ran the quinella, so he was the first Queenslander home.

“There is probably nothing for a month, so I might duck him down to Kolora Lodge on the water walker for a week, give his legs a rest and go again.”

The win capped off a good day for the stable after Captain Eagle finished second in the Class 3 Plate (1350m).

The placing took Captain Eagle’s prizemoney past $48,000 since joining the stable in August and leaving connections confident his third win is around the corner.

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