Keayang Zahara became the hottest trotter in this part of the world after winning her first 15 starts, but could face a second successive defeat when she returns from a spell at Melton on Saturday night.
The four-year-old is first-up since tasting defeat for the first time at her 16th start when second in the Group 1 Macarthur Mile at Menangle on May 10.
Although “Team Lee” is thrilled with her progress, the stable concedes overcoming an outside draw against a hot field headed by Inter Dominion champion Arcee Phoenix is an almighty challenge.
“Even though she’s only raced outside of her own age a couple of times, she’s straight into the deepest of deep ends,” driver Jason Lee said.
“Still, we had to start somewhere with so many big races ahead in the next few months.”
Despite a couple of sharp recent trials, Lee conceded Keayang Zahara would improve a lot for the race this week.
“She lost so much condition when she got crook after that Sydney trip (defeat), we focused on getting her fit and healthy again. It’s a good thing in many ways, but she’s really put on weight,” he said.
“She actually got quite fat for her and it’s taking time to get her back to peak fitness. There’s only so much you can do at home and then they need racing.”
It’s a real warning from Lee given Keayang Zahara has been crunched in from $1.85 to $1.65 in early markets for Saturday night’s Group 3 Dullard Cup.
She will have to overcome the outside barrier (seven), while Arcee Phoenix, who will be fitter for two runs back from a spell, has drawn to use his early gate speed from four.
The other key runner is reigning Great Southern Star winner Watts Up Partytime (gate six) at his first start for new trainers Chris Lang and Sonia Mahar.
Back to Keayang Zahara and the Lee clan has the ultimate measuring stick after their other star four-year-old mare Jilliby Ballerini won her ninth race from just 11 starts this season when she thrashed Arcee Phoenix and others from a standing start at Melton last Saturday.
“We’ve always liked Ballerini, but she’s gone to another level, that’s for sure,” Jason Lee said.
“I’d still say the best version of Keayang Zahara is better, but Ballerini is up and firing and Zahara still has to get back to that.
“Put it this way, Zahara couldn’t sit outside Ballerini and beat her.”
Importantly, Keayang Zahara is $2.80 pre-post favourite for Saturday week’s Group 1 Bill Collins Sprint at Melton, but Lee said this week’s run would decide if she even contested the race.
“There’s a chance she’ll bypass it given it would mean backing-up twice in a week after a spell,” he said.
“We’ve got Ballerini up and firing and she’s definitely heading to the Bill Collins. We’ll decide with Zahara after the weekend.”
It’s a similar story with lucrative NZ and Queensland feature race options in coming weeks.
“We’ve got some thinking to do and we’ve got Keayang Chucky almost ready to go again, too,” Lee said.
“We’ve got to look seriously at NZ with the money on offer and it’s similar with that big race (Great Square) in Queensland (in December). I think Ballerini would be most likely to do Queensland at this stage.”
