Gritty Zabrasive Now Derby Favourite
29 March 2010
Karaka Premier Sale graduate Zabrasive looks set to continue the New Zealand-bred tradition of dominating the Group 1 AJC David Jones Australian Derby with a fantastic win in the race's traditional lead-up, the Group 1 STC Darley Rosehill Guineas (2400m) on Saturday.
Tracking pacemaker Gathering (Tale of the Cat) throughout the race, Zabrasive drew to the lead on the straight before knuckling down to fight out a tight finish when headed by Group 1 VRC Australian Guineas winner Rock Classic (Fastnet Rock). The filly Run For Naara (More Than Ready) finished two lengths back in third.
Trained by John O'Shea, the win came off the back of an eye-catching run for fourth in the Group 1 AJC Randwick Guineas which was won by Shoot Out (High Chaparral), who ran fourth in the race on Saturday.
Bred by Don and Rochelle McLaren's Northfields Stud, Storm Thoroughbreds secured Zabrasive�for just $95,000 from Haunui Farm's 2008 draft. From just six starts to date for three wins and two placings, he's already returned his connections over A$370,000 in stakes.
Zabrasive is another example of the sought after Zabeel - Danehill cross, being from the stakes winning Danehill mare Danasia, who finished third in Tapildo's 2001 Group 1 NZ Oaks. To date her four progeny to race have all been winners.
Now the current favourite for the $1.3 million dollar purse on offer on April 10th, O'Shea's charge is hoping to join other NZ-bred victors in the AJC Derby such as last year's Roman Emperor (Montjeu) to make it four in a row for the (NZ) suffix. �Other NZ-bred winners of the race in the past ten years include, Nom Du Jeu (Montjeu), Fiumicino (Zabeel), Starcraft (Soviet Star) and Don Eduardo (Zabeel). Fellow Kiwi-bred Metal Bender (Danasinga) won the Rosehill Guineas last year.
If he was to take out the Rosehill Guineas - AJC Derby double, Zabrasive's name would be among the likes of fellow Kiwi stars, Phar Lap, Tulloch, Dulcify, Taras Bulba, Battle Sign and more recently Sky Heights, Octagonal and Naturalism.
On the same card another son of Cambridge Stud's Zabeel notched up a stakes win with Precedence (ex Kowtow by Shadeed) taking out the Listed STC NE Manion Cup (2400m), confirming his favouritism for the Group 1 AJC Schweppes Sydney Cup on 24 April.
Trained by Bart Cummings, Precedence was purchased by DGR Thoroughbred Services for $180,000 at the 2007 Karaka Premier Sale from Bloomsbury Stud. In recording his fourth win on Saturday, and third on the trot, the four-year-old took his total winnings to over A$280,000.