James McDonald is treating Zaaki as a target for Godolphin star Anamoe and a chance for everyone to work out where the two headline acts stand as Everest Carnival begins at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
But he also knows he’ll have a target on his back when he reunites with champion sprinter Nature Strip in the Shorts.
The premier jockey rode both Anamoe and Zaaki in their first-up wins but obviously he can’t partner two horses in the Group 1 $1 million Fujitsu General George Main Stakes (1600m) and seems content with the decision to stick with the younger charge.
And because he’s so well acquainted with Zaaki, James Mcdonald knows exactly what he’s up against and, if Zaaki is there when they jump, he’s quick to point out it won’t be an easy task.
“We know where Zaaki’s level is in terms of he’s the benchmark and this is Anamoe’s opportunity to come up to Zaaki’s level,” McDonald said.
“As a younger horse coming through the ranks that’s how it is and if he can run extremely well against Zaaki you know you’re sitting pretty for the rest of the spring.
“He’s nothing like Zaaki in his racing pattern but it gives him a good target to chase.”
Anamoe, who won the Winx Stakes (1400m) first-up a month ago, was $2.10 favourite with TAB on Thursday to notch his fifth Group 1 ahead of Zaaki at $3.10.
The four-year-old impressed McDonald with that first-up win, where he tracked the speed from an inside gate and ducked back to the inside to make his bid for victory with a 1-1/2 length margin in his favour.
“It worked out very well for us, he didn’t have too hard a run,” he said.
“He just landed straight behind the speed and sprinted home so he’s bounced pout of that really well.
“We always knew he could do that, he oozes class, and he’s so smooth in his action. He’s physically improved a bit and mentally has improved. Up to a mile at Randwick is right up his alley.”
Anamoe and Zaaki have met once before in the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), Anamoe finished at the tail on a heavy 10 and Zaaki second, and they’ve drawn alongside each other which suits McDonald.
“He’s a rising star of the Australian turf so we expect him to be running well against this quality of horse,” he said.
“It’s a similar field and obviously Zaaki is going to be hard to beat.”
Nature Strip’s presence in the Group 2 $1 million The Shorts (1100m) promises to steal the limelight from the Anamoe-Zaaki clash and rightly so given the The Everest preview the race is shaping as.
The eight-year-old, who interestingly shares a birthday with Anamoe as both are November 16 foals four years apart, has a revenge mission first-up having been run down by Eduardo in last year’s Shorts.
McDonald said you couldn’t be anything other than impressed with how Nature Strip has returned from his Royal Ascot win in June as evidenced by his trial and exhibition gallop last weekend.
“He’s feeling great that’s the main thing,” he said.
“He was there for everyone to see him go around Rosehill the other day with his ears pricked and he enjoyed himself.
“He’s travelled back well, it’s an unknown how it has affected him until he is out there racing but he hasn’t shown any signs of fatigue or anything.”
The Shorts will be Nature Strip’s only lead up run before the $15 million The Everest (1200m) and the result will be a significant pointer to the nation’s richest race given he’s already $2.80 favourite to go back-to-back on October 15.
McDonald isn’t predicting any particular result but a win over the likes of Eduardo, Lost And Running, Mazu, Masked Crusader and 2020 champ Classique Legend would be a real statement.
“It’ll be a great race with all those Everest horses and will sort the wheat from the chaff anyway,” he said.
“If he puts three lengths on them in the Shorts we’re cooking with gas.”
