Racing: Reset confirms billing as the latest Zabeel star after taking second group one

SYDNEY - New Zealand sire Zabeel's latest star, Reset, won't be heading to Sydney's autumn carnival.

Instead it is likely Reset will soon be given a spell from racing with the Cox Plate his spring target.

Reset on Saturday enhanced a burgeoning reputation with his second group one win in a fortnight, taking out the 1400m Futurity Stakes at Caulfield in Melbourne.

He did it coming back in distance from his win in the 1600m Australian Guineas at Flemington at his previous start.

Millionaire owner Lloyd Williams said he would wait a week before deciding whether to give him one more start this preparation, in the group one weight-for-age Australia Stakes (1200m), the Melbourne Age newspaper reported.

But he said the Sydney carnival was definitely out and the horse would be trained for the weight-for-age races in the spring with the Cox Plate his main aim.

Jockey Danny Nikolic was delighted with the colt, who gave him his 20th group one win.

"He's the best horse I've ridden, certainly up to a middle distance," he said after the race.

Reset led in the race and was just too quick for well-regarded sprint-milers Vocabulary and Thorn Park. Vocabulary ran home well for second ahead of Yell and the disappointing Thorn Park.

"It was unbelievable; he really sprinted quickly [when I asked him]," Nikolic said.

"He's definitely going to make a Cox Plate horse.

"It's not me getting excited. He's the best miler I've ridden and he'll definitely get a mile and a quarter [about 2000m]. He makes me look good."

Reset made it a group one double transtasman double for trainer Graeme Rogerson after Lashed won the New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie.

It has been a good week for Zabeel progeny, with Reset earning A$260,000 ($291,672) for Saturday's win and Physique earning A$65,000 for his Victoria Gold Cup win earlier on the Caulfield card.

In addition, another Zabeel horse, Zacielo, won the group three A$200,000 Launceston Cup in Tasmania on Wednesday. Physique and Zacielo are likely starters in the group one Australian Cup at Flemington on Monday week.

The A$3.6 million won this season in Australia by stock of Zabeel have seen him leapfrog Desert Prince into third place on the Australian sires' premiership, behind Danehill and Encosta De Lago. Reset is the 26th horse by Zabeel to win a group one race.

- NZPA