The Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield is designated as Zakouma’s final outing before the Melbourne Cup.
Trainer Grahame Begg has chosen the Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) on Saturday as the stayer’s final race before the premier 3200m event at Flemington on November 3.
Zakouma secured his place in the Melbourne Cup field via a ballot exemption, stemming from his victory in The Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington in May.
This exemption has given Begg the advantage of selecting races that fit his training regimen, rather than needing to race for qualification.
Since his win in The Andrew Ramsden in May, Zakouma has raced twice at Caulfield. He finished sixth in the Heatherlie Stakes (1700m), making ground from the rear, and then again finished sixth in the Naturalism Stakes (2000m) on September 19.
Begg expressed his satisfaction with both recent performances, acknowledging that the distances were not ideal for the gelding.
He also mentioned that the tighter Caulfield circuit is not as suitable for Zakouma as the more spacious Flemington track.
Begg brought Zakouma to Caulfield on Tuesday for a gallop on good ground, providing a change of scenery from his Cranbourne base.
“His work has been very sharp and he’s going well,” Begg said.
“Caulfield is not really his track, and we are happy that he’s not running in the Caulfield Cup, but Saturday’s race fits in nicely towards the Melbourne Cup.”
“The Moonee Valley Cup is there (as a back-up), but I’ve consciously factored in just the one mile-and-a-half race.”
“There are races there as you just never know what could happen.”
Zakouma’s jump from 2000m to 2800m when winning The Andrew Ramsden suggests that the increase from Saturday’s 2400m to the 3200m Melbourne Cup distance, with a three-and-a-half-week gap, should not be an issue.
“He went a month between runs before he won the Andrew Ramsden and went the 2800 metres without any worries,” Begg stated.
“We’re very conscious that it is a bit of a balancing act.”
“We don’t want to over-race him, and we want to keep the run in his legs, a bit of freshness, but he is a very clean-winded horse.”
“We’ll see what he does on Saturday and then keep adjusting his work accordingly.”
Zakouma is scheduled for his pre-Melbourne Cup scans next Wednesday, after which Begg can fully focus on preparing his first Melbourne Cup runner.
Betting markets for the race are already taking shape; consider placing your bets with Australian betting sites.