Christmas Stakes winner Zedi Knight is shaping as a surprise runner in the Group Three Standish Handicap.
Trainer Brendan McCarthy gave the seven-year-old no chance of running in the 1200m Flemington feature after his Boxing Day victory but is warming to the idea of backing him up on Monday.
“I didn’t think there was a chance of him running in the Standish but I’m pretty happy with the way he has pulled up from Caulfield,” McCarthy said.
“He’s definitely a chance of running now.”
Jamie Mott, who won the Christmas Stakes on Zedi Knight, is on standby to ride the gelding in the Standish.
“We will see how the horse is in the morning but Jamie certainly didn’t punish him last time and I think if something had come at him he would have found a lot more,” McCarthy said.
Zedi Knight has won 11 of his 35 starts but is a maiden at Flemington where he has raced three times.
However McCarthy said the Standish may be his chance to impress down the straight.
“Looking at the nominations it (the Standish) is not as strong as I thought it would be,” McCarthy said.
“He (Zedi Knight) doesn’t have a good record at Flemington but he’s never had much luck there either.”
In the spring he raced twice at Flemington but was “flat” all campaign and was freshened in the hope that he would “spark up” for the Christmas Stakes which he did.
“He hasn’t had a decent crack at Flemington but I think he is in a totally different position going in this time,” McCarthy said.
Zedi Knight is second topweight with 58.5kg, a kilo more than he carried on Boxing Day.
Michael Rodd is booked to ride topweight Catapulted (59kg) for trainer Mark Kavanagh.
Periduki, Canali, Danzylum, Rocking Force, Shout Out Loud, Gran Sasso and Stirling Grove are the only others among the 22 entries handicapped above the minimum 54kg.
AAP TURF
