Gifted sprinter Zedi Knight has rebounded from a spring form slump to pass $500,000 in career earnings with his victory in the Listed Christmas Stakes at Caulfield.
Trainer Brendan McCarthy said the gelding lost his spark before he put him on a swimming-based training program for six weeks which rejuvenated the seven-year-old for Monday’s feature.
Zedi Knight winning the The Cafe' Terroni Chistmas Stakes at Caulfield - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
“He didn’t come up during the spring for some reason,” McCarthy said.
“He looked tremendous but he didn’t have any spark about him.
“He was flat the whole time and we had every test done but couldn’t find anything wrong.”
After he finished unplaced at Flemington on November 5, the decision was made to freshen Zedi Knight in the hope that he would come good.
“All he did for six weeks was just swim and take it easy,” McCarthy said.
“We worked on making him feel good and when he dropped the jockey (Tom Nikolic) at trackwork on Friday we knew he was feeling pretty good.”
Jamie Mott took the reins in the Christmas Stakes (1200m) and had Zedi Knight ($16) second before peeling off the back of front runner and favourite Mr Make Believe ($5) rounding the home turn.
Approaching the 200 metres, the chestnut surged to the lead and raced away to win by 1-3/4 lengths from Cascabel ($7), who flashed home wide on the track, and Guru Bob ($26) who darted between horses to grab third.
Zedi Knight, who cost $35,000 as a yearling, was stuck on $496,006 in prizemoney before Monday but boosted his earnings by $60,000 with his 11th win from 35 starts.
His other stakes wins were this year’s Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington in February and Listed Anniversary Vase (1200m) at Caulfield in April.
“He has been a terrific horse for me and the owners,” McCarthy said.
“We have really loved what he has done and he has given us some great thrills.”
Last year Zedi Knight was only beaten 1-3/4 lengths when fifth to Grand Duels in the Christmas Stakes.
McCarthy said the son of Zeditave would have his next start in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on January 7.
“Hopefully we can follow a similar path to last year with races like the Hareeba,” McCarthy said.
Mr Make Believe was beaten 3-1/2 lengths finishing sixth in the Christmas Stakes but for trainer Peter Moody it was still a successful day with a winning treble.
Luke Nolen won the Joe Brown Handicap (2000m) on the Moody-trained Zoomania while apprentice Daniel Stackhouse landed the Frank O’Brien Handicap (1200m) on There’s Only One and Blake Shinn took out the Ken Sturt Handicap (1600m) on Dayita.
AAP TURF
