ANOTHER CRACK AT THE PLATE
THE unfinished business of winning a Cox Plate has superstar Zaaki headed back to Queensland to defend his Hollindale Stakes and Doomben Cup crown in favour of a Royal Ascot tilt later this year.
Trainer Annabel Neasham confirmed the seven-year-old is headed north for what will likely be a two-run campaign over the winter carnival, before being set for the Cox Plate in the spring carnival.
After being beaten by a freakish
ride from Nash Rawiller on Think it Over in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick two weeks ago, Zaaki will head to the
Gold Coast for the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) on May 7 before going to the $1m Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) a fortnight later.
“We feel like we have some unfinished business (Cox Plate),” Neasham said. “If he had won the Cox Plate last year we would probably have gone to Royal Ascot this year, but that can wait for next year and we will head to Queensland for the Doomben Cup.”
A tilt at the lucrative Q22, which he also won last year, is unlikely, Neasham confirmed as she gears the horse at the Cox Plate after he was dramatically scratched on the morning of the race last year as a shortpriced favourite.
“The horse really enjoyed being up there last year and he thrived in his racing,” Neasham said, adding that jockey James McDonald has also been booked to ride in the Hollindale Stakes. “The prizemoney is great and so is the racing, so it will give us a good lead into the spring.”
With Neasham recently taking over a significant number of boxes at the Gold Coast following the departure of leading trainer Michael
Costa to Dubai, the rising training star will have a growing presence in Queensland.
After a career in Europe which produced two Group 3 wins, Zaaki announced himself in Queensland last year, clean sweeping the Hollindale, Doomben Cup and The Q22, which netted more prizemoney in three starts than his 21 prior in Europe did.
Zaaki is rated a clear favourite for the Doomben Cup, with TAB keeping him safe at $2.30, over the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr-trained Ayrton at $3.50.