Racing: Zarzuela holds sway before Derby

Zarzuela (outer) holds off Corporal Jones on Saturday. Photo / Supplied

Andrew Scott gave a characteristic scratch of his head and declared: "The Derby's a two-horse race."

The Matamata trainer is happy in the knowledge that he prepares one of those two horses - Corporal Jones.

The other, of course, is Zarzuela, who narrowly beat Corporal Jones in Saturday's $85,000 NZ Equine Veterinarians Championship Stakes.

A head separated the pair and Scott is confident there is significant improvement in his horse.

Fellow Matamata horseman Mark Walker is even more confident Zarzuela will find something extra when the $2.2 million goes on the line for the Telecom Derby at Ellerslie in two weeks.

As much as Corporal Jones pushed Zarzuela close - a head - there was an air of superiority about her performance.

Walker said he was walking a tightrope. "I'm trying to get to the Derby and leave enough in her to get her to Sydney [for the Oaks]. I'd love to show those Australians how good she is - I think she's a very, very good filly."

Zarzuela surprised Walker when she won the Guineas at Te Rapa the start before Saturday - he thought she would be too big in condition to win.

"I thought she was vulnerable today again because of her condition.

"I know how much is left in this filly," said Walker, with obvious relish.

"Having said that, I've got a lot of respect for the second horse."

Zarzuela's rider James McDonald was stoked.

This race was an experiment. When the rail is out 10m as it was on Saturday, an on-speed bias can develop and Walker's instructions were to get the filly forward early, rather than allowing her to drop out as usual.

"Mark said that three back on the rail would be perfect and when I landed four back I wasn't worried."

McDonald said it might have looked a bit impatient when he switched off the rail at the 650m and quickly improved around the leaders.

"We didn't want to give her a hard run. I had to make a split-second decision to pop off the rail and although it wasn't ideal, I had no choice."

McDonald said Zarzuela hit the lead earlier than he wanted and, despite what looked like a desperate battle with Corporal Jones from the 320m, he was never worried about being beaten.

"I hit her with the whip only twice and I was just hands and heels late.

"I was always confident I had that other horse covered."

It would have been nice if he'd somehow been able to convey that to owner David Paykel, who admitted to heart palpitations over the last 250m.

McDonald said the pressure was starting to build with such a high-profile Derby ride.

"It's pressure, but we'll be okay."

Andrew Scott hasn't signed off giving the Derby to Zarzuela.

"We're getting closer to that filly.

"On a dry track it's a two-horse race. If it's wet, Monaco Consul will beat them both."