Neville Parnham is not prone to making over the top or outlandish statements, but the champion trainer can’t hide his admiration for gun three-year-old, Ellicazoom.
Parnham’s respect for Elliczaoom was again validated after the talented filly ran a slashing second in the Magic Millions 3YO Trophy (1200m) at Pinjarra on Saturday.
The daughter of Testa Rossa commenced slowly and had to be ridden along by jockey, Steven Parnham, but she surged late to finish within a length of Enchanted Dream.
“I knew she was going to go back, but having to niggle at her and rider her along for the majority of the race didn’t really give her a chance to travel at all,” Parnham told The Sports Daily.
“To her credit her ability shone through and she was able to pick up and finish off from the top of the straight. She was hitting the line hard.”
Parnham said Elliczaoom had come through her first-up run unscathed and it was full steam ahead as she embarks on an eastern states campaign in Melbourne.
“She wasn’t out there for a gut buster and she probably had a harder run than I expected, but to her credit she has come through well,” Parnham said.
“I had earmarked the Typhoon Tracy (1200m) at Moonee Valley on a Friday night (February 24), but looking at her after Saturday I will probably switch now and run her the following day in the Angus Armanasco which is 1400m.
“That is the plan and then I would think she would go in a fortnight later into I think another 1400 metre race for fillies again, but we are leaving the option of running her in the Australian Guineas.
“The options are open, but at this stage I would say she will stick to the filly races.”
Ellicazoom signalled she was a filly on the rise after her breakout campaign at last year’s Festival Of Perth Racing.
She won the Listed Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) and ran successive seconds in the Listed WA Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) and Group 2 WA Guineas (1600m).
Parnham said Ellicazoom had the makings of a star.
“I think she is as good as Rommel who went over and won the Zeditave Stakes (1200m) after running third in the Magic Millions 3YO Trophy (2015),” Parnham said.
“He went over and won that and unfortunately went amiss in between there and the Australian Guineas.
“I don’t know if she is quite as good as Playing God, he was an exceptional horse, but she is right up there with the better horses I have trained.
“I still think she is a little bit untapped to be honest, she is such a relaxed filly with a great temperament and great to be around.
“I think you will find when she gets into her four-year-old years she will be right up to the best of them.”
Playing God won eight races and $1,619,200 in stake earnings from his 42 start career.
RWWA: Julio Santarelli