Smith isn’t afraid of the big, bad Zaaki
THE market says Zaaki is unbeatable in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on Saturday but Warwick Farm trainer Matthew Smith is plotting an upset.
Smith could’ve ran his import Esti Feny in the Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill on Saturday but the lure of a $1 million race in Queensland was too hard to ignore.
Smith conceded that Zaaki would probably win the race as a $1.45 chance but knows he’s no Winx and is beatable.
“Someone has to burst the bubble don’t they?” Smith said.
“He’s probably going to be very hard to beat if he brings his A-game. My bloke is probably better over 2400m but you’ve got to be in it to win it and it’s good prizemoney so you have to have a shot.
“I think you want to have a horse that can run 2400m anyway. Zaaki will roll along and he loves that track and the conditions and we’ll find out a bit more about our bloke.
“We don’t even know much about how he’ll handle a wet track. Things probably aren’t perfectly lined up for us but this race is worth so much more than the race in Sydney (Lord Mayors Cup) and second, third and fourth placings are pretty much open.”
Esti Feny, a seven-yearold, has only had three starts this time in and has been improving with each day out.
He is a $61 chance but outside of Zaaki, there is no real star in the field.
“He’s cherry ripe and peaking now,” Smith said.
“I just think it’s the right time for our horse to have a shot at a race like this.”