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Zedi Knight Ready For Easter Delight

Lucy Henderson April 20, 2011

Zedi Knight Ready For Easter Delight

Local Caulfield trainer Brendan McCarthy is hoping his revitalised six-year-old Zedi Knight can back up from his last start victory and produce another winning run on Easter Cup Day this Saturday.

Zeditave gelding Zedi Knight is in career best form having won four of his past five starts and will look for another when lining up against 11 rivals in the $125,000 Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on Easter Saturday.

A dual stakes winner having won the Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington in February before his recent success in the Listed Shadwell Stud Australasia Stakes (1440m) at Caulfield on April 9, Zedi Knight has drawn well in barrier two for the Victoria Handicap.

In the Shadwell Stud Stakes, Zedi Knight lead all the way to hold off fellow Victoria Handicap rival, the fast-finishing Carrara by a short-neck.

Due to be ridden by Danny Nikolic, Zedi Knight is one of the three 58kg topweights in the Victoria Handicap field this year along with Group 2 winner Sound Journey and specialist at the distance Orbit Express.

Following the Victoria Handicap, McCarthy said he would either target the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 7 or step Zedi Knight up to a mile for the first time in the Group 3 RA Lee Stakes (1600m) that same day.

“It is still five weeks to Adelaide so we have plenty of time to freshen him if we want the Goodwood,” McCarthy said.

“It’s still in the mix or I may try him at 1600m metres as that race over there (RA Lee Stakes) is worth $200,000.”

Zedi Knight kicked off their career in remarkable style winning five of his opening six starts.

He lost a little form when struck down with continued leg and back troubles while unsuitably wide barriers got the better of the sprinter.

Jockey Nikolic now seems to have found the right style of riding for Zedi Knight, using patience and tactics to get the results.

“He is going super,” McCarthy said.

Other runners out to put a stop to Zedi Knights sensational streak include Peter Moody’s mare Set For Fame (barrier 10) who won the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint last October, the Darren Weir-trained eight-year-old Time Matters (barrier five) and David Jolly’s consistent sprinter Budriguez (barrier 11) who is the 53kg light-weight of the field and comes off an impressive three length win in the Listed Adelaide Handicap (1400m) at Morphettville on April 9.

The Victoria Handicap is accompanied by the $125,000 Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m) on a bumper Easter Saturday racecard at Caulfield.

2011 The Saturday Age Victoria Handicap Final Field & Barrier Draw

# Form (Last 10) Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp. Rating
1 7352147210 ORBIT EXPRESS Steve McKinnon Steven King 12 58kg 106
2 2X205410X6 SOUND JOURNEY Luke Oliver Noel Callow 9 58kg 107
3 X754211311 ZEDI KNIGHT Brendan McCarthy Danny Nikolic 2 58kg 106
4 8164114306 DANZYLUM Robbie Griffiths Matthew Allen 1 57.5kg 105
5 5X05305X42 CARRARA Tony Vasil Mark Zahra 8 56kg 101
6 15X156X037 SET FOR FAME Peter G Moody Ms Linda Meech 10 56kg 106
7 32256X4262 TIME MATTERS Darren Weir Ben Melham 5 55.5kg 100
8 765100X704 SKIDDAW PEAK Michael Moroney Ms Lisa Cropp 4 55kg 99
9 415X98546X MOMENT IN TIME John P Thompson Craig Newitt 3 54.5kg 102
10 23121X508X CHARTREUX David Hayes Jason Maskiell (a) 6 53.5kg 95
11 12X323527X RED COLOSSUS Greg Eurell Chris Symons 7 53.5kg 95
12 86111X1161 BUDRIGUEZ David Jolly Dean Yendall 11 53kg 94

Racing fields and data are copyright 2011-2021 © Racing Australia Pty Ltd (RA) (and other parties working with it).
Racing materials, including fields, form and results, is subject to copyright which is owned by RA and other parties working with it. Full copyright notice.

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