Zabeelionaire has a reputation as a drought breaker but forecasters are confident the unseasonal warm, dry spell will continue long enough for him to make his first Sydney appearance.
The winner of the 2012 South Australian Derby, Zabeelionaire will travel from Victoria for Saturday’s Listed McKell Cup (2400m) on Saturday.
Despite his dislike for wet tracks, Zabeelionaire performed well enough when second in a 2500m Listed race on slow ground in Adelaide earlier this month to encourage trainer Leon Corstens to persevere with his campaign.
Corstens also entered the five-year-old for the Andrew Ramsden Stakes at Flemington but said Sydney was the better option.
“The last time we were going to race him in Sydney it rained so he never went,” Corstens said.
“The forecast looks good this week so that’s where he is likely to go.
“He went well last time in what may not have been a strong race but it was pleasing.
“We rode him forward on the wet track to give him a chance and he stayed on well.”
Corstens has booked Glyn Schofield for the ride and is hoping the jockey will be well enough to ride on Saturday after suffering facial fractures in a fall at the Warwick Farm barrier trials on Monday.
Schofield has withdrawn from Wednesday’s race meeting.
Zabeelionaire was one of 17 entries taken on Monday for the McKell Cup with Chris Waller nominating six horses, four of which – Danchai, I’m Imposing, Permit and Secessio – are also entered for the Premier’s Cup (2200m) in Brisbane.
VRC St Leger winner Order Of The Sun, who struggled on the wet track in the South Australian Derby, is also among the entries as is La Amistad, a four-year-old half brother to three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva.
Trained by the Hawkes family partnership, La Amistad claimed his first metropolitan win and his fourth overall in a benchmark race on May 7 at Warwick Farm.
Permit is the 59kg topweight while Zabeelionaire will carry 55kg.
