The Cox Plate beckons for Zaaki after he trounced his rivals by seven lengths in the Group 1 Doomben Cup
European import Zaaki ($2.25F) has put on a galloping lesson streeting his rivals in the Group 1 Doomben Cup.
The six-year-old gelding won going away from them by seven lengths over Toffee Tongue ($18) with Brandenburg ($31) a further two and a quarter lengths back in third.
Coming into this race on the back of a dominant Hollindale Stakes victory, the Leroidesanimaux progeny gave nothing else a chance and was ridden like a good thing by jockey James Mcdonald.
The win caps a stellar few months for trainer Annabel Neasham who picked up her first Group 1 with Mo’unga in the Rosehill Guineas in March.
Although confident, Neasham wasn’t going the early crow in the straight.
“When we got to the 300m I said ‘don’t get excited yet’,” Neasham said.
“But then we got to the furlong and I said ‘I think we’re alright here’.”
Neasham had placed full confidence in McDonald’s race tactics and left the job up to the in-form hoop.
“He (McDonald) was very confident. He said ‘just leave it up to me. I’ll get him in the right spot. We won’t overcomplicate things.'”
Zaaki was having just his fourth run for the Neasham camp and has already amassed nearly $780,000 in earnings.
“We didn’t pay a whole lot for him,” Neasham said.
“He was a little bit older, we took a chance to fit the budget. Big credit to him, he looks a proper Group 1 horse.”
Neasham will now look to the spring where she has bigger fish to fry.
“He’s run the 2000m pretty easily,” Neasham said.
“I can’t wait for the Cox Plate.”
