Racing: Zarzuela races to Derby favouritism

There are two glaring omissions from the New Zealand Derby honours board in the past decade or so.

One is the last filly to win the race - you have to go back to Popsy in 1993, and, before her, Tidal Light in 1986.

The other is the absence of the name of champion trainer Mark Walker. The way Walker's underdone Zarzuela dealt to the boys at Te Rapa on Saturday, however, both lapses are now just four weeks away from being redressed.

The filly and rider James McDonald had only a couple behind them turning for home in the HS Dyke Waikato Guineas (2000m).

But the pair unleashed an impressive burst to beat one of the strongest fields carded in the race to win comfortably in a slick 2.01s.

TAB bookies reacted by slashing Zarzuela's Derby fixed odds quote yesterday to just $3.50, with Victorian Derby winner the Mike and Paul Moroney-trained Monaco Consul now the next best fancied at $6 for the $2.2 million feature at Ellerslie on March 6.

Walker said he had the Zabeel filly only about 75 per cent ready for the group three lead-up on Saturday, her first race since winning the group two Great Northern Guineas (2100m) six weeks earlier.

When he saw earlier races mostly won from the front, he would have been thrilled with a top-five finish.

"But she showed a really good turn of foot; she's a lovely, relaxed filly," said Walker yesterday.

"She's just getting better with each run really."

Walker said he knew from her second trial at Pukekohe last March that owner-breeder David Paykel had something special this time from his group-winning mare Star Satire.

She ran only third that day but it was the way she powered home over the last 100m that impressed Walker.

Paykel had no luck earlier with the progeny of the high-class daughter of Volksraad, who won the 2001 group one Otaki Maori Weight-for-Age Stakes and ran a host of group-race placings for trainer Ross Taylor.

Star Satire lost her first two foals, by Fusaichi Pegasus and Redoute's Choice, and then Paykel sold her, banking on Zarzuela, her third foal, delivering the goods.

It was not until her win against the colts and geldings on Boxing Day, however, that Walker and Paykel firmed up plans to sidestep the Filly of the Year series and focus on a Derby-AJC Oaks campaign instead.

The group one A$350,000 AJC Oaks (2400m) is at Randwick on April 17. Kiwi-trained runners have a long history of plundering that race, more recently with the Kevin Gray-trained Daffodil winning last year's event.

"The fillies series involves some serious travelling but if we base most of her races around her home base [in Matamata] we stand a much better chance of running in both the Derby and the Oaks," said Walker.

Walker's best Derby placing so far is Tell A Tale's third last year on an unsuitably wet track.

While it aids some, Zarzuela included, the Derby shift to March from Boxing Day has probably cost Walker more than others.

Tell A Tale, among other stars from the Te Akau stable, dominated 3-year-old racing around Christmas.

Zarzuela, warns Walker, is just warming up. She will top off her Derby preparation in the $85,000 Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie on February 20, a race that is shaping as a serious Derby dress rehearsal. Beaten Guineas favourite Maciano will be a rival again, aiming for a first-four Derby exemption pass after his shock failure on Saturday.

Rider Leith Innes had the blueblood cruising in the perfect trailing slot, but when he was about to let the brakes go the big strider stumbled and lost all momentum to finish a distant ninth.

"He knuckled over and just about went down on the turn. Leith thought he'd broken down," said trainer John Sargent.

"Whether he put his foot in something, or whatever, we don't know.

"It's a shame, he was going extra well until that happened and just coming around them to have a go.

"He ate up last night [Saturday] and we trotted him up this morning. He's a bit sore behind and in front, but, hopefully, we'll have him right for the Championship Stakes."