Expat Victorian trainer Cliff Brown unearthed a stakes winner of the future when Zac Influence broke through at Kranji on Friday night.

Brown will aim Zac Influence towards the Singapore Guineas after the colt scored a three length victory over Media Mogul (Stratum) with Distinct Niche (Dehere).

Zac Influence (3c Rock Of Gibraltar – Kidman by Quest for Fame) broke through at his fifth start but not before he gave Brown an almighty fright shortly before the race.  “He weighed in 11kg heavier than I expected,” Brown said.  “When I saw the body weights I almost vomited.  His work had been good and he trialled well, but I hadn’t really pushed him.

“I suppose having not raced for six weeks and being a colt he got away a bit, but I thought I had done more than enough with him before the race.”

Zac Influence was a $60,000 buy out of the Newhaven Park draft at the 2009m Inglis Easter yearling sale.  His by Coolmore sire Rock Of Gibraltar from Newhaven homebred Kidman who won at Caulfield and was also runner-up to Fatoon in the 2002 G2 Reisling Slipper Trial at Rosehill.  Second dam Unison (Marauding) was a Listed winner of the AJC Widden Stakes.  

Winning jockey Johnny Powell also has a good opinion of the Zac Influence.  “He’s still a bit green and at this stage just doing it all on raw ability,” Powell said after bringing the winner back to scale.  “A set of blinkers will help and when he learns to settle behind the pace he might make the grade.”

Kidman’s Flying Spur colt was sold for $95,000 at the 2009 Magic Millions National weanling sale.  She missed to Magic Albert in 2009 and was covered by Manhattan Rain last year.