The Annabel Neasham-trained Zaaki (GB) continued his rise to the top ranks of middle-distance horses in Australia when turning a competitive $700,000 Group 1 Channel 7 Doomben Cup into a seven-length romp.
Ridden by James McDonald, Zaaki (GB) travelled sweetly on the outside of the pacesetting Brandenburg. That pair had the chasing pack off the bit long before wheeling for home.
A shake of the reins by McDonald and Zaaki (GB) put the race to bed at the 300m, and the further they went, the further he increased his margin.
The Tavistock mare Toffee Tongue trailed in a safe seven lengths second with a further two and a quarter lengths back to Brandenburg in third.
“That was amazing,” Neasham said.
“The Hollindale was easy to watch. When they got to the 300m today, I said to (part-owner) Carl Holt don’t get excited yet, then when they got to the furlong, I said we might be alright now.
.“He (McDonald) was very confident. He said just leave it up to me, and I will get him in the right spot – we won’t over-complicate things.
“I was bullish in the Doncaster, and he hasn’t taken a backward step.
He has run the 2000m pretty easily, and I can’t wait for the Cox Plate.
“A big shout out to Stuart Bowman who found this horse at the Newmarket Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale.
“We didn’t pay a whole lot for him. He was a little bit older, but we took a chance. He had to fill the budget and credit to him because he looks a proper Group 1 horse.”
Winner of the Group III York Strensall Stakes at York, Group III Diomed Stakes at Epsom and the Listed Paradise Stakes at Ascot when trained by Sir Michael Stoute, Zaaki (GB) advances his record to six wins, four seconds and five thirds from 25 starts with earnings of $1,180,407.
A 40,000gns purchase by Ahmad Alotaibi out of the Staffordstown draft at the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Zaaki (GB) bought by Blandford Bloodstock / Annabel Neasham Racing for 150,000gns out of the Freemason Lodge Stables (Sir M. Stoute) draft at the 2020 Autumn Horses In Training Sale.
A half-brother to stakes-paced Kirks Ryker (Selkirk), the Kirsten Rausing-bred Zaaki (GB) is the best of six winners from eight to race out of the Sadler's Wells mare Kesara, a half-sister to the dual Listed stakes-winner Persona Grata (Sir Percy).
Best known as the sire of the Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom (USA), Leroidesanimaux (BRZ) was at one stage slated to shuttle to Australia.
After beginning his stud career in Kentucky, Leroidesanimaux (BRZ) spent the last three years of his life at Lanwades Stud, where he died at the age of 15 in 2016.
