Catch him if you can

ANNABEL Neasham has a message for rival trainers as they prepare their horses to tangle with her Doomben Cup favourite Zaaki on Saturday – they will have to be at the top of their game to beat him.

The import is the dominant $3 favourite for the Group 1 and all signs on Tuesday were he is ready to rumble after being so fresh and well at trackwork he jumped at something at the 200m during a spin around Doomben.

Zaaki announced himself as a potential Group 1 winner-in-waiting and a probable Cox Plate contender when he destroyed a high-class field in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes on the Gold Coast.

Such was the arrogant manner of Zaaki’s winning romp that Neasham was literally trembling with excitement post-race as she was blown away by how he easily disposed of a field containing plenty of Group 1 winners.

Blossoming trainer Neasham will attempt to pocket her second career Group 1 win on Saturday after scoring her maiden Group 1 win with Mo’unga in the Rosehill Guineas in March only eight months after taking out her trainers’ licence. She exudes confidence when talking about Zaaki’s Doomben Cup prospects, even with the fresh blood of Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet and All-Star Mile champion Mugatoo in the star-studded Cup field.

“If Zaaki runs up to what he did the other day, or God forbid if he has improved, they are going to have to be on top of their game to beat him,” she said. “I was trembling postrace on the Gold Coast, simply at the ease of how he did it.

“Watching him demolish a field like that was pretty surreal, it was a very good feeling.

“I thought he would be hard to beat, but to put away a field like that was pretty impressive. I hope I get the same feeling again on Saturday.”

Neasham insisted after the race Zaaki would be even better on a firm track – and that’s what he looks likely to get for the $700,000 Doomben Cup (2000m) on Saturday.