Pat Duff’s ability to find a value for money yearling was on display again at Doomben on Saturday.

The Duff trained gelding Steel Zip won his third race in town this year with a last-stride victory over Snip ‘N’ Duck in the Listed Queensland Day Plate.  

Steel Zip (3g Canadian Silver – Zip by Cossack Warrior) cost just $13,000 at the 2009 Gold Coast Magic Millions.  “I bought him on speck,” Duff recalled.  “But when I took him home there weren’t that many prepared to come in so I kept a share myself.”

The Deagon trainer is now likely to set Steel Zip for the G3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) next month.  

Steel Zip is a son of former champion Lyndhurst Stud stallion Canadian Silver (Geiger Counter) who was put down in April 2008.  He has sired 331 individual winners of 985 races to date at a superb 62% strike-rate.  

His final crop of two year-olds contains 28 foals and Vancouver Gold was the first of them off the mark at Mackay on March 5.

Steel Zip is from Eagle Farm winner Zip.  Second dam Plenty of Polish (Boysie Boy) also won at Eagle Farm and her brother Harpagus was a G1 VATC Oakleigh Plate winner.