By Adam Hamilton
Friday night has all the hallmarks of the Grand Final for freakish filly Keayang Zahara.
On face value, most expect the three-year-old to just turn up in the $200,000 Garrards NZ Trotting Derby at Addington, and win again.
But driver Jason Lee sees it a little differently.
“We think it’s her biggest test for a few reasons,” he said. “It’s as strong a field as she’s met, it should be a real staying test and it’s at the end of a long first (racing) campaign for her.
“All the signs say she’s thrived over here and is as good as ever, but you’re still mindful how far she’s come in this campaign and that she had her first start back on April 3.”
Lee and his mother, Marg, who trains the filly, decided to keep Keayang Zahara in Christchurch for Friday’s Derby after she cruised to her 13th win from as many starts – six of them at Group 1 level – in last Friday night’s NZ Trotting Oaks.
“She gave us no reason not to, it’s that simple,” Jason Lee said. “We’re here, it’s worth good money and it only meant staying another week. When she came through the Oaks so well, we had to give it a go.”
Significantly, Lee scrapped plans to drive in the second round of Inter Dominion heats at Bathurst on Wednesday night to stay with Keayang Zahara.
“It’s more for my headspace, just to know and see we’ve done everything to have her as well as we can for this week’s race,” he said.
“Don’t get me wrong, Antti (Ruokonen, travelling foreman) knows her as well as I do and would’ve managed without me, but we do this as a really important race and her biggest test so far.
“I haven’t really felt much pressure so far with her, maybe a bit in the slot race (The Ascent) because it was worth so much and her first run over here (NZ), but I’m feeling a bit going into this week.
“We know the unbeaten streak will end at some stage, but it would be really nice to get through this campaign with it intact, so it all comes down to the Derby and we know it’ll be another test.”
While Lee asked Keayang Zahara to show gate speed for the first time in her career last week and she responded to work to the front, his gut feel is to be more conservative in the Derby.
“I’m thinking I’ve got to be more patient in a longer race this week,” he said. “Let her find her feet and settle in the first lap or so.
“The instinct is to back her speed, to drive her with a sit, but when you’re in a big field of young trotters, you’ve also got to be mindful that some can gallop.
“Ideally, I’ll be able to settle not far off them, the pace will be good and we save her for that sprint of hers, but I also know I’ll have to keep an open mind and drive to how the race is run.”
Beyond the Derby, Keayang Zahara returns home for a spell at the Lee clan’s Ecklin South property about three hours south-east of Melbourne.
“We’ve got a blank canvas. We haven’t even thought about what happens after the spell or how long she has out,” Lee said.
“There’s no shortage of options, but we’ll sit down with all the family members involved in her and talk it through.
“We’re certainly mindful of how far she’s come and what a big first campaign it’s been.”
It’s sounding like a return to the NZ for the TAB Trot at Cambridge in April is unlikely.