By Michael Guerin
It says a lot about just how special Keayang Zahara might be that she is almost the most hyped Australian at this New Zealand Cup week.
And while the three-year-old Victoria trotter has a long way to go to match the heroics of now dual IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup winner Swayzee and or Renwick Farms Dominion Trot winner Just Believe, her New Zealand debut on Friday is almost as eagerly anticipated.
The beautiful and bold Victorian trotter has been lured to Addington by the new $500,000 trotting slot race the Majestic Horse Floats LP THE ASCENT and it is likely her Kiwi rivals will end up wishing she has stayed at home.
Keayang Zahara has obliterated her rivals in Australia and while dominant three-year-old trotters are relatively common in harness racing, fillies like her are not.
She is already running open class times, albeit aided by the change of official birthdays for harness horses as a few years back Keayang Zahara would have been a four-year-old by this stage of her life.
But her age will ultimately prove irrelevant as she has the x-factor of a real deal topliner and a horse who could be something very special if she stays healthy and sound.
If she has one weakness it may be her inquistive mind as driver Jason Lee says the black beauty loves to survey new environments, which is why he took her to Addington for a private workout last Saturday.
“She is like that at any new track, she loves to look around and she did it here (Addington) on Saturday too,” says Lee.
“But now she has been there she will be good as gold and she was actually better at Addington than most times she goes somewhere new.”
So that is one ray of hope blocked out for rival connections and it is hard to find many more as under the conditions of The Ascent, Keayang Zahara and other fillies drew inside the boys.
Punters taking very short odds will be hoping she trots straight to the front from where she would seem unbeatable if she brings her Aussie best to Addington but Lee admits she is no one-trick glamour pony.
“Sure I’d like to lead and that will be the plan but I don’t think if is a disaster if she doesn’t,” he offers.
“It is only a small field and she has amazing speed coming from behind so as long as she brings her best, and I have no reason to expect anything else, I think she will be too good.”
If the Aussie sensation is to get beaten then fellow filly Empire City is the most logical danger.
She has some gate speed and even if she can’t lead she will be handy and she was excellent coming from well back for second at Ashburton last start.
If she trails Keayang Zahara and the leader is attacked, which looks unlikely, she could get her chance up the passing lane.
There is little between the six boys in the 1980m mobile race and Bring On The Muscle was very strong at Ashburton last start but he has drawn the outside of the second line so will be giving some very smart young trotters a start.
The Ascent and the $500,000 Hill Lee and Scott THE VELOCITY for three-year-old pacers are the two centrepieces of a revitalized Show Day, which also moves into a later slot, finishing early evening.
The meeting will see Tuesday’s winner of the Dominion in Just Believe return for the $100,000 New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All but both NZ Cup winner Swayzee and runner-up Don’t Stop Dreaming will miss tomorrow’s $200,000 New Zealand Pacing Free-For-All.
