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The addition of blinkers will bring a “calmer” Zingalong to his Doomben on Saturday according to Sunshine Coast trainer Trevor Miller.

Zingalong will wear the blinkers for the first time in the Springsocial.com.au Handicap over 1050 metres. He is a rated a $6 chance.

Miller has been mulling over a switch to blinkers for the Falvelon four-year-old since he savaged Lord Olympus in the dying stages of the Mick Dittman Plate at Doomben in April when the pair were fighting out the finish.

“My first thought after the race was to put the blinkers on him when he raced again. I didn’t put them on first up when he was unlucky off a wide alley,” Miller said.

“He’s not a sour horse but he doesn’t seem to like being around horses too much. I’ve used the blinkers in his work this week and Sandra Brown who rides him every morning said he seems to be calmer in everything he does at the track.’’

Zingalong raced very consistently last campaign when he was plagued with poor barriers.

While it was eight gate Zingalong jumped from last start at Eagle Farm he was wide all the way when a scrambling fourth behind Shamaton over 1000 metres a fortnight ago.

Michael Cahill has been the regular rider for Zingalong but Miller has wisely handed the ride to in-form claiming apprentice Kyle Wilson-Taylor. He will carry 57kg with the 3kg weight relief.

An interesting opponent in this sprint is Valiant, a six-year-old trained at Murwillumbah by Steve Wise. He hasn’t raced for 12 months but has trialled impressively twice on the Northern Rivers in preparation for his return.

Valiant, by super sire I Am Invincible, cost $1.6 million as a yearling but was purchased by Wise two years ago for $11,000. He has started just four times in an injury-hit career for three wins.

One time barrier rogue Sir Warwick can extend his unbeaten Queensland run to four in the XXXX Dry Benchmark 78. He broke a long standing class record when an easy winner at Doomben last start on October 6.

Even though Sir Warwick has developed much better barrier manners after Toowoomba, horseman Jake Capewell says, he still goes through a “refresher” barrier course in the few days before he goes back to the races.

“When train him like a normal horse but he is reminded of the barrier process a couple of days before the next race,’’ Capewell said.