Sertorius the perfect tonic after a tough year for trainers Ryan Maloney celebrates his Group 2 win on Sertorius at Caulfield in the Zipping Classic. CONSISTENT galloper Sertorius stepped up to weight-for-age to win the Group 2 Zipping Classic at Caulfield yesterday to cap 10 months of an emotional roller-coaster ride for training partners Jamie Edwards and Bruce Elkington. The six-year-old made it two wins and four seconds from this past six starts, including the Bendigo Cup and yesterday's $350,000 feature, and now has prompted the trainers to look for higher honours next autumn. Edwards was emotional as he talked of the tough year and the meaning of this win. In February, he broke two vertebrae when a horse he was riding at trackwork collapsed and died, falling on him. He is lucky to be walking. For Elkington, it was a belated 60th birthday present for Friday's milestone. Ryan Maloney rises in his irons to celebrate Sertorius" win. "It has been a tough time during the past 12 months and this has topped it off," Edwards said, having slowly recovered while Elkington carried the bulk of the training action. Sertorius ($3.70) coasted to a two-length success ahead of Epingle ($12), with a long neck to Queenstown ($5.50) who set the pace throughout. The race was billed as a match-race between the son of Galileo and the Bart and James Cummings-trained Precedence ($3.40 favourite), the former having beaten Sertorius by a head in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington last Saturday. Ryan Maloney and trainer Jamie Edwards at Caulfield. Edwards told the Herald Sun this week that he knew his galloper would be strong on the back-up and hoped that Precedence would not come up running twice in a week, given he has raced so well this campaign while kept fresh. Despite a 2kg weight advantage, Precedence was never comfortable in the run and finished sixth, beaten more than five lengths. "He really deserves to be put away and set for far better races in the autumn," Edwards said. The pair will consider some of the newly announced million dollar races in Sydney, given the galloper now has won $800,000 from his nine wins and 10 placings from only 25 starts. "It is nice to see the horse step up to win at weight-for-age from a handicap," Elkington said. This is the best win we've had, the best horse we've had. We knew if we were patient, because he is a Galileo, he would do the job," he said. Trainers Jamie Edwards and Bruce Elkington celebrate Sertorius" Zipping Classic win. Jockey Ryan Maloney bided his time just off the tearaway leader Queenstown and shot through the inside to win as he pleased. He said several jockeys had tried "to neck" him for the ride on the emerging star but that he was thrilled with the loyalty of the Geelong trainers. "This time last year I was at Dunkeld and now I've ridden a Group 2 winner," he said.