Racegoers are hoping to see Australia’s best trotter, Keayang Zahara, in the flesh at the Victoria Cup meeting after she made a stunning return to the racetrack in the V. L. Dullard Cup.
Having her first start since May, Keayang Zahara settled at the rear of the field and was giving the leader, reigning Inter Dominion champion Arcee Phoenix, 35 metres with 800 metres to travel.
When asked by Jason Lee to make ground shortly after, Keayang Zahara produced a sustained sprint to reel in Arcee Phoenix around the home turn before surging away to score by six metres in a mile rate of 1:56.8. Lee could scarcely hide his exhilaration at Keayang Zahara’s return.
“A lot of the time it’s a relief but honestly tonight was exciting to have her back, and regardless of the result, we were happy if she just raced well,” Lee said.
Lee couldn’t quantify the mare’s level of improvement from her barnstorming three-year-old season.
“I don’t know if you can ask much more of what she did as a three-year-old. She’s obviously a bit bigger and stronger, but her manners are probably the biggest thing,” he said.
“First up she can be a bit fresh and a bit funny and do a little bit wrong, but she was super tonight and well behaved.”
Meanwhile, co-trainer Marg Lee was also delighted with the superstar’s return to the track.
“I’m pretty happy with that. She was a long way back and I thought we were in trouble, and to do what she’s done is terrific first up,” she said.
Lee, though, was non-committal in declaring whether Keayang Zahara will line up in Saturday night’s Group 1 Bill Collins Trotters Sprint.
“We’ll see how she pulls up, but there is a chance,” she said.
Ryan Sanderson has the enviable task of choosing between the Emma Stewart-trained Victoria Derby heat winners Fox Dan and Storms Collide on whom to partner in Saturday night’s $150,000 Final.
Sanderson said the decision was no clearer after steering Storms Collide in the second Derby heat.
“Both runs were full of merit. They’re both great horses, I don’t know,” he said.
The Michael Stanley-prepared three-year-old Sao Paulo Simba was an impressive all-the-way winner in the third heat, albeit with a slower mile rate of 1:58 compared to Fox Dan and Storms Collide, who both went 1:55.
