Star chasing triple glory
Trainer says $10m Zaaki still has another year left in him yet
Trainer Annabel Neasham is adamant her $10m star Zaaki is not done with yet.
The rising nine-year-old might be down, but Neasham believes he’s not out yet, saying he has another year left in the tank as he prepares for a history-making third straight Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
A hot $1.65 favourite, Neasham was forced to abort autumn carnival plans with Zaaki after he turned in a poor trial following a set of vaccinations to prepare him for a trip to Hong Kong.
Changing tack, Neasham instead set Zaaki for the happy hunting ground of Queensland, where he will chase the $200,000 “Zaaki bonus” for winning both the Hollindale Stakes and Doomben Cup.
“We have had some luck up there, so hopefully it is still a good spot for him,” Neasham said. “I think he is (back).
“We had to give him a couple of weeks off (after the trial), then a couple of weeks at the beach and I still wasn’t sure.”
As a consistent weight-forage performer since arriving in Australia, Neasham believes that Zaaki has more left in him, with a trip to Hong Kong potentially on the cards later in the year.
Only recently returning from Hong Kong herself, where she had My Oberon run in the Group 1 Champions Mile on Sunday, Neasham said Zaaki could not have run better behind a rampaging Giga Kick in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) last month.
“I got him vaccinated to go to Hong Kong and he went off,” Neasham said.
“It was a pretty good run in the All Aged, I don’t think he was ever going to beat Giga Kick, but I thought it was as good as he’s ever been.
“When you go through his races, he is so consistent. I think he has only run outside the top three once or twice, and that was when he was fourth in the Cox Plate.
“He is going well, I think he has another year in him. I really want to take him to Hong Kong, but we will see.”
No horse has ever won three Hollindale Stakes, with the meeting this year moved from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast due to track renovations on the Glitter Strip.
Rough Habit (1991-1992), Shogun Lodge (2000-2001) and Leebaz (2015-2016) are the only other multiple winners of the $500,000 feature.
History says Saturday’s winner will be a huge chance in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) in a fortnight’s time, with 11 of the past 31 winners going on to taste success.