Trentham option for Zarzuela

BY TIM BARTON

Top filly Zarzuela might tackle the New Zealand Oaks at Trentham, in preference to the AJC Oaks in Sydney.

Trainer Mark Walker will not make any decisions before the end of the week but can see some advantages in tackling the $300,000 Group I Trentham feature on March 20.

Zarzuela, who finished a creditable fourth in the New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie on Saturday, has had a successful but testing three-year-old campaign.

The Zabeel filly, who did not race at two, has had nine starts this term, five of them in group races.

She could be in the spelling paddock in about a fortnight if she goes to Trentham, while tackling the A$350,000 Australian Oaks, at Randwick on April 17, would extend her campaign by a month.

"If she goes to Trentham, she can probably have six to eight weeks in the paddock, while if she goes to Sydney she will probably have just four weeks out [before returning to work in preparation for a spring campaign]," Walker said.

"She also needs really good ground and it can get wet in Sydney at that time of the year."

In addition, Zarzuela has yet to win a Group I race and her connections might regard the NZ Oaks as an easier target than the fillies' races in Sydney.

Keep The Peace, the runner-up in the Lowland Stakes at Hastings on Saturday, was a $3 favourite for the NZ Oaks last night, with Zarzuela at $4.50 and Adaline at $5.

Walker said the track conditions contributed to Zarzuela's failure to finish closer than fourth, as a $3.60 second favourite, in the NZ Derby.

"The ground was a bit shifty after the showers and she didn't sprint as well as she can," Walker said. "She had no early speed and was three or four lengths last at one stage.

"She didn't have that same ping [in the straight] on that ground.

"But you can't take anything away from the winner [Military Move] and it was a huge run by the second horse [Corporal Jones]."

The Derby has not been a lucky race for Walker and nothing changed on Saturday, with the rub of the green going against the stable second string Martial Art.

Martial Art was checked and almost dislodged rider Vinnie Colgan with about 1200m to run, before making ground late to finish sixth, albeit beaten more than five lengths. "It [the check] cost him running in the money, for sure," Walker said. "We will spell him now and give him a chance to strengthen."

However, Walker's day was not without some reward, as Posavina, aided by an smart ride from David Walsh, beat Military Move's stablemate Keep The Peace in the Group III Lowland Stakes (2000m) at Hastings.

Posavina, who set the pace, slipped clear on the turn and Keep The Peace was the only rival to even mount a challenge.

Posavina was the less favoured of Walker's two Lowland runners, with stablemate Corsage, who started a $6.50 third favourite, making ground for fourth.

Posavina had finished sixth in the Group II Sir Tristram Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa at her previous start and will strengthen Walker's hand in the NZ Oaks.

"She has kept improving and is bred to stay," Walker said. "She has always shown some ability and it was a good ride [in the Lowland] as well."

Posavina, who is raced by the Vela brothers, is a half-brother to Stalking and from the first Australian crop sired by the Danehill horse Tiger Hill, who began his stud career in Germany.

Corsage and Pezzaglia, who are both acceptors for the Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie on Wednesday, are other likely Oaks runners in the Walker stable.

There is a chance Corsage will back up at Ellerslie while Pezzaglia might miss Wednesday's race, and go straight to Trentham, if Walker decides the track would be too firm for her this week.

- © Fairfax NZ News