Superstar mare Keayang Zahara racked up the sixth Group 1 success of her relatively short career when she led all the way in the Aldebaran Park Bill Collins Trotters Sprint on Saturday night at Melton.
Keayang Zahara ($1.22 fav) and her stablemate Jilliby Ballerini cleared out from their rivals approaching the home bend and were in a world of their own in the home straight with the favorite reeling off a slick 26.4 last 400 metres.
Keayang Zahara scored by two metres from Jilliby Ballerini with Ollivici a further 25 metres away in third place.
Driver Jason Lee said the Marg and Paddy Lee-trained stable star won with something in reserve.
“It felt like we were humming but she still had a fair bit left… both the girls were brilliant,” Lee said.
“I know we got it pretty good early, but on the quick back-up she didn’t need to have a gut buster. It’s never easy at Group 1 level and it’s great to win another good race with her.”
Despite the win, Lee indicated immediate plans to travel across the Tasman to contest next month’s $400,000 Dominion Trot in Christchurch were up in the air.
“Just the biggest concern is she hasn’t stepped from the tapes and it’s a long way to go to miss away – the second horse is pretty good, we might just take her,” he said.
Meanwhile, outstanding filly Tracy The Jet notched up back-to-back Group 1 wins with success in Saturday night’s Renown Silverware Victoria Trotters Oaks Final at Melton.
Multiple Group 1 winner Gatesys Gem was no match for Tracy The Jet ($1.30 fav) as the Jess Tubbs-trained filly was untroubled to score by five metres in a mile rate of 1:56.9.
Tubbs said the royally-bred daughter of Love You will soon be making her way to New Zealand for the $500,000 Ascent slot race at Addington on Show Day where she will again lock horns with Gatesys Gem.
Tracy The Jet is raced by prominent owner Dom Martello, who bought a slot and will obviously use that spot for the nominal race favourite.
Elsewhere, talented young reinsman Ryan Sanderson chalked up his first Group 1 success in style, winning the state’s oldest classic race when he partnered Fox Dan to a stunning victory in the Woodlands Stud Victoria Derby Final at Melton.
Sanderson was forced to get busy early on the $1.85 favorite from the pole when Final Deadline attempted to spear across from its wide draw and the pair engaged in a spirited battle before Fox Dan prevailed.
The Emma Stewart-trained Fox Dan was again challenged when Sao Paulo Simba worked its way to the front with two laps to travel.
Sanderson managed to ease off the pegs around the home turn when the leader was headed and Fox Dan sprinted past stablemate Captain Perfect in a couple of bounds to score by three metres in a mile rate of 1:54.9.
“I’m lost for words, that was amazing,” Sanderson said after the race.
“I was a little bit worried with that lead time as he had to burn pretty hard,” he said.
“I was happy to take a sit on Sao Paulo Simba and I was confident he would take me where I needed to be, but obviously I had to get out a bit early.
“It’s a credit to Emma and Clayton with this horse, as he had to burn so hard early, but as soon as I pulled him out he never looked like getting beaten.”
