By David Nagel
He’s a big, strong and imposing thoroughbred beast – and Zaaki has stamped himself as the horse to beat for this year’s Cox Plate with a dominant victory in the $1million Group-1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Sandown on Saturday.
The former English seven-year-old gelding will now look to break an eight-year drought of Underwood Stakes winners in the weight-for-age championship of Australasia – with Ocean Park the last to complete the Underwood-Cox Plate double in 2012.
And the Annabel Neasham-trained import would appear perfectly placed to break the drought after toying with a small but classy field in the first Group-1 held at Sandown since 1996.
Zaaki sat outside the lead of Fifty Stars in the early stages of the race before dictating terms as the field turned for home.
Jockey Craig Williams then gradually released his stranglehold on the $1.30-favourite, controlling the concluding stages of the race to score a two-length victory over Probabeel, with Superstorm a length-and-a-half away back in third.
Zaaki was a Listed and Group winner in England before making his way to the Neasham stable in September last year.
His first two runs in Australia were inauspicious, running sixth in the Group-1 Doncaster (1600m) in April before being disqualified for returning a positive test for meloxicam – an anti-inflammatory – after running second in the Group-3 JRA Plate at Randwick on April 24.
But Zaaki has put together a perfect record since, with Saturday’s win his fifth consecutive victory at Group-1 or Group-2 level.
He won the Group-2 Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast before taking out the Group-1 Doomben Cup. He then defeated Homesman and Paths of Glory in the $1million Q22 at Eagle Farm in June before having a short break in the paddock.
Zaaki returned to the track with a soft win in the Group-2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in early September before having a three-week break into the Underwood.
Williams said Neasham’s meticulous planning had Zaaki ready to take on the Caulfield Stakes before heading to his grand final at Moonee Valley on October 16.
“I just love the preparation, the planning that Annabel has got for Zaaki,” Williams told Racing.com after the race.
“Not only am I blessed to ride him, but it’s great to see him here in Victoria for three group-ones, and of course the target is the Cox Plate.
“I would say that after his gallop, and today, that Anabel has got this horse right where she wants him to be for his target run in two more starts.”
Williams said Zaaki stacked up well when comparing him to some of the best horses he had ridden.
“Oh yeah, he’s good…and the thing for me that makes him feel so good is he knows he’s good,” Williams said.
“He pumps his chest up and when the jockey gets on and when it gets to race-day he is a real racehorse.
“In the morning, when he’s on his own, he just floats around and covers the ground so well. He’s that athletic…you don’t actually realise what he’s doing to his opposition.
“The four that lined up today, they’re all group-one winners. He’s really exciting and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Todd Pollard, the stable representative for Neasham, said the pressure was on with Zaaki starting a short-priced favourite in his first career start in Melbourne.
“It was quite nerve wracking going into this,” Pollard said.
“You wait two weeks and it ends up being a five-horse field. He was odds-on favourite and the pressure was really on. But once the saddle was on and he perks up, it’s just good to see him out there doing his business.”
Pollard said he was looking forward to being more hands on with Zaaki after he was forced to quarantine after making his way south for the spring riches.
Pollard only ended his quarantine period on Friday, with the Neasham camp relying on some local knowledge to make sure there were no early hiccups in his Melbourne campaign.
“There’s been a lot of work that has gone into this,” Pollard said.
“He (Zaaki) came down on Sunday night. (Local trainer) Nick Ryan has been a huge asset to us, he’s been extra helpful and done everything we could possibly ask for.”
Pollard said he was happy that Fifty Stars – who led but finished last – had set the early tempo.
“It was always a concern that it was going to be a tactical affair, Pollard said.
“There wasn’t a lot of speed in the race. It was interesting to see Fifty Stars take them up because we thought we might have to do all the leg work and be wary of something coming over the top of us late.
“He’s just such a good horse, he tries every time and he’s a marvel to have in the stable.”
Pollard said it was now onwards and upwards to Zaaki’s main spring mission.
“Absolutely, it’s on to the Caulfield Stakes then the Cox Plate, that’s the grand final, but it’s pretty exciting, he’s two from two this prep,” he said.
“We talk about the Cox Plate being the grand final but when he’s winning first up over 1400 and doing it again second up, it’s exciting and we just want to see him keep the ball rolling.”
Zaaki’s victory gave Williams a winning double, an honour he shared on Saturday with fellow jockey Josh Richards and the training partnership of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
Group-1 racing continues this Saturday with the running of the $1million Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield.
