A trip to Sydney in late August to trial The Next Episode led jockey Mark Zahra being in the hunt to win a second Caulfield Guineas.
The trials on August 28 at Randwick allowed Zahra to partner Call Me Coach in a 1045m heat, in which the Dundeel colt finished fourth.
Call Me Coach will be having only his third start in the Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on Saturday after wins at Hawkesbury followed by success in benchmark grade at Cranbourne.
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained colt is the least experienced of the 11 runners on Saturday but displays enough talent for Zahra to say he is a Group 1 winner in waiting.
“I went up to trial The Next Episode and they asked me to do him,” Zahra said.
“I liked him in his trial and said, ‘let me know when he comes down to Melbourne’.
“He was huge in the last bit at Hawkesbury (on debut) and I think that’s him, still getting it together during the race, but he’s got a powerful turn of foot, a powerful finish, if he gets it right.”
Zahra made the trip to Cranbourne on AFL Grand Final Eve to partner Call Me Coach to a 1-½ length win over three opponents and was aboard the colt in a gallop at Caulfield on Tuesday.
The jockey knows it will be a tough task to win on Saturday but also knows there is a lot of firepower underneath.
“We’ve got pretty high hopes for his ability. He’s shown quite a lot,” Zahra said.
“This race comes around a bit quick, but they’re only three once and the race is coming up this week.
“What he lacks for in experience, he makes up for it with ability, and we’ll need things to go right, but he’s good enough if things pan out.”
Zahra won the Guineas on Super Seth which raced in the colours Call Me Coach will race in on Saturday.
Both are also by Dundeel and Zahra said there was similarities between the pair.
Super Seth was, however, more experienced when he contested the Guineas, running down Alligator Blood in the final few bounds.
“He’s got a bit of catching up to do and no doubt we’ll see the best of him in the autumn, but hopefully we can nick one away this week,” Zahra said.
“I think he will be a Group 1 horse and in time I think he will want even further than a mile.
“I’ve got no problem with speed in the race, that will help, but it will be managing him around these bends the best we can, so he’s got something to finish with.”
