Zaki on a high for new season
HIGHVELD trainer Dominic Zaki (pictured) had his second highest ever seasonal stakes earnings in the term just past and is expecting this season to be even better.
Zaki relocated to the Vaal training centre about four years ago and his yard looks to have a lot of feature race potential to look forward to this season, particularly with some of the exciting youngsters that emerged at the beginning of this year.
His Gr 1 SA Nursery winner Arabian Beat will be having one preparation run before being aimed at the Gr 2 R450,000 Merchants over 1160m at Turffontein on Sansui Summer Cup day, November 28. The Merchants is a handicap so the threeyear-old Black Minnaloushe colt won't have it easy considering the handicapper has accorded him a merit rating of 110.
Zaki is viewing his classy son of Toreador, Prospect Strike, as a classic hopeful and the gelding will likely go straight into the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on October 31 before being aimed at the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m on Summer Cup day.
Bull Valley is another son of Toreador that the yard have high hopes for and he will also be aimed at the Graham Beck and Dingaans, although he will have a preparation run in a forthcoming 1200m handicap. Bull Valley won impressively over 1200m on debut at the Vaal in May and the form looks strong with three winners having come out of the race.
On the three-year-old fillies front Leila's Charger, an Australian-bred by Charge Forward, will run early next month before taking in the Gr 3 Starling Stakes over 1400m on October 31 and the Gr 3 Fillies Mile on Summer Cup day. She charged to a 5,25 length victory on debut over 1160m at Turffontein on August 2, beating a Mike de Kock-trained Trippi filly who had been backed into even money after a decent debut. Leila's Charger's form is looking strong because the filly Inyanga, whom she beat by 8,6 lengths, came out and won by five lengths over the same course and distance.
The yard's surprise horse from last season was the Judpot filly Little Genie, who finished an eleven length third over 1160m on debut before running unplaced over 1600m. However, she was then brought back to 1200m and blitzed the field, winning by 7,25 lengths. Zaki described this now four-year-old filly as one who was "getting better all the time." He believes she will also go well on sand.
Zaki believed his classy Captain Al speedster Precursor would "without a doubt" stay the 1450m trip of the Gr 2 R1 million Supreme Cup sponsored by SAP on September 26, especially considering he had landed the pole position draw. The yard also have Lavender Landscape in the Supreme Cup, but considering it might be on the sharp side they haven't yet decided whether he will run there or in an 1800m event on the same day.
The yard's good stayer S to rm Warning has benefitted from a wind operation and ran on strongly when fourth in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup. Shimmering Gem is the other feature class stayer in the yard and this pair will be aimed at the Listed Java Handicap over 2450m on October 31 and the Gr 3 Racing Association Handicap over 3200m on Summer Cup day.
Three decent sprinters in the yard, Bad Boy Buddy Boy, Victorious and Valberg are being aimed at the Listed Golden Loom Handicap over 1000m on October 31.
Valberg has had a wind op since two below par runs in January and February. He has always been highly regarded so is one to keep an eye on as the operation might bring a new lease on life.
Zaki finished in 16th place on the National log in the past season with earnings of R6,259,275.
However, the yard's record position on the log has been 6th in both the 2004/2005 and 2006/2007 seasons and in the latter of those seasons they had their highest ever earnings, R7,213,175.
Zaki was full of praise for the excellent training tracks at The Vaal training centre and all of the facilities in general.
His yard is now clearly well established there and look ready to break back into the top ten on the national log.