When Brad Rawiller guided the 2-year-old Extra Zero to victory in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes in April 2009, Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister and Tony Abbott was still plotting his coup to oust Liberal Party Leader Malcolm Turnbull.
Some things never change and Extra Zero has remained a constant in nine seasons on the track.
True to the script, the 10-year-old Danzero gelding rang up number one for the seventh time at his 100th race start in Saturday's Archer Hall Of Fame Trophy (2000m) at Flemington. (photo Grant Courtney).
Now, seven wins from 100 starts does not sound like a great strike rate but the universally loved gelding has built his reputation on near misses.
He has been placed 32 times. Back in October 2009, he was runner-up to Monaco Consul, beaten a length, in the Group I Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.
Six years later he came close to pulling off a 100/1 shock in the Group I Australia Cup when edged out by Spillway.
That season he was only out of the top three in two of his 14 starts.
He finished sixth in the same race the following year, just over one and a half lengths from the winner Preferment.
Five starts later, Extra Zero was winning over the hurdles at Ballarat.
His overall record reads out at 7 wins, 22 seconds and 10 thirds from 100 starts with earnings of $1,710,540.
Fifty-four of those have been stakes races with 3 wins, 8 seconds and 7 thirds.
He will be a sadly missed member of the Lindsay Park team when time is finally called on his track career.
Soundness seems to be a hallmark of this family as Extra Zero's dam Extra Bubbly (Bellotto) faced the starter 64 times for four wins and six placed.
Purchased by Bob and Jan Bergstrom in 1998 as a tried racehorse, Extra Bubbly did not win for her new owners but what a ride she has taken them on at stud.
Besides Extra Zero she is the dam of Johan's Toy who ran second in the 2005 Group I Epsom Handicap behind Desert War. The following autumn she was second to Racing To Win in the Group I Doncaster Mile.
Johan's Toy is the dam of multiple Group II winner Toydini (Bernardini).
A granddaughter of the outstanding Toy Show, Extra Bubbly had a third stakes winner with Group III Adrian Knox Stakes winner Operetta Lass (Singspiel).
