Zaaki’s chance to shine on ideal conditions in the Doomben Cup

[Wandering Eyes]

James McDonald pictured on his winning ride Zaaki in last year’s Doomben Cup. The star Sydney jockey will be aboard the $1.40 favourite as he attempts to defend his title on Saturday. Picture: sportspix.com.au.

The showman has a chance to shine on the ideal platform.

They were the thoughts of Zaaki’s assistant trainer to Annabel Neasham, Kyle Ryan, ahead of the $1 million Doomben Cup at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

The champion seven-year-old has been given winning odds of $1.40 from Unibet in the 2100m feature simply because he is so consistent and hard to beat.

Since last year’s Doomben Cup triumph, the stayer with over $7.2 million in prizemoney has saluted in the Q22, Tramway, Underwood, Mackinnon and Hollindale Stakes in his last start on May 7, as well as the All Star Mile on March 19.

As if his opponents did not already have enough headaches, Zaaki will have a much better track (rated a Soft 5 on Friday afternoon) than his Hollindale Stakes triumph, achieved on a Heavy 8 at Gold Coast Turf Club.

And Ryan cannot wait to watch the natural entertainer.

“He’s back on a good track too now. He hated the heavy track at the Gold Coast, but he’s back on his preferred ground now,” he told horsebetting.com.au.

“He’ll be very hard to beat there. You always think what’s going to happen to get beaten, but he doesn’t get beaten.”

The better the conditions, the more people expected at Eagle Farm.

And that’s exactly how Zaaki likes it, according to Ryan.

“He’s just like a big, young kid in an old man’s body,” he said.

“Since coming to Australia he’s just been a different horse on paper. I don’t know what he was like over there (in England), but he’s always been a stable favourite.

“He’s quite quirky. He thinks he runs the show and the stable revolves around him.

“That was even before he was good.”

Another Neasham-stable horse in form is Swiss Exile, a $6.50 chance for the $1 million Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) also at Eagle Farm.

Last start was the two-year-old colt’s maiden victory in his fifth start, but it came in the feature $250,000 Spirit Of Boom Classic (1200m) at the same venue on May 14.

“All reports are he’s going as good as he’s ever gone,” Ryan said.

“So hopefully it’s copy and paste and he does what he did last start.

“Definitely (he’s a chance), now he’s finally won a maiden. He’s always been a horse we thought would win one sooner than he did.

“But now he’s won one hopefully he’s got a bit of confidence and he can string a few together.”

Ryan also has high hopes for Laws Of Indices ($26) in the $700,000 Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m).

“He’s going the best he’s ever gone,” he said of the four-year-old who finished fourth in the $600,000 All Aged Stakes last start on April 16.

“He’s back on a good track, which will suit him down to the ground.

“The only thing is the gate (21). But his work leading into Saturday and during his trials he’s shown he’s hungry and he wants to run past the other horses.”

Ryan was understated on Holyfield’s chances in the $250,000 BRC Sprint (1300m), but punters should not discount the chances of the four-year-old at $13 to win with the top bookmakers.

“He’s just ticked over since his first-up run at Rockhampton (fourth in the $440,000 Archer on May 7) really well. He’s always been a good workhorse at home, so he’s hard to get a line on regarding how he’s going,” he said.

Despite being just 25, Ryan is highly-deserving of his assistant trainer role now that Neasham’s former Warwick Farm-based assistant Todd Pollard is heading up the team’s Gold Coast operation.

Ryan has served as Neasham’s foreman since August, 2020, and before that five years in both racing and stud at Godolphin.

The man from northern Queensland – who went to the Cathedral School in Townsville – started his career with a one-year stint at Aquis Park on the Gold Coast.

“It (becoming Neasham’s assistant trainer) is very exciting. A good challenge,” he said.

“She said it was the next logical step from foreman.”

Meanwhile, Ryan said a change of scenery for Down Every Road at Pollard’s Gold Coast stables might get the best out of him after the four-year-old finished eighth in a $35,000 Maiden Plate (2100m) at Gosford on Thursday.

“We went forward with him for the first time to try something different, because he hasn’t been doing a lot,” he said.

“But he wasn’t really relaxed and they attacked him the whole way.

“We’ll let Annabel decide – he might go to the stable up north.”

Zaaki’s Odds In Doomben Cup

Race 5 – #1 Zaaki (10)

7yo Gelding | T: Annabel Neasham | J: James McDonald (59kg)

$1.40 with Unibet

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