'An absolute machine' - Zaaki storms to All-Star Mile success at Flemington

Saturday: Australia

Zaaki continued his rapid rise through the Australian ranks after he landed another prestigious success in the All-Star Mile at Flemington.

Formerly trained by Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket, the seven-year-old is now trained by British-born Annabel Neasham and has taken Australian racing by storm, winning three Group 1s since making the move in March 2021.

While it may not have top-level status, Zaaki picked up his most lucrative victory to date in terms of prize-money and just over A$1.2million for his cosy success in the All-Star Mile under Jamie Kah.

"It's pretty simple when you ride a horse like him, you've just got to get him into his rhythm and he's just an absolute machine when you let him do his thing. He's a superstar, he just gets stronger and stronger," she told Racing.com.

"It just means so much more after coming back [from suspension]. I missed out on so many big opportunities through spring. There's a lot of pressure riding a horse like him."

Zaaki's Flemington win took his record to seven wins from 11 starts in Australia, having won four times in Britain when trained by Stoute.

Verry Elleegant suffers shock Ranvet reverse

Last year's Melbourne Cup heroine and Australia's champion mare Verry Elleegant suffered a shock defeat in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill.

The Chris Waller-trained six-year-old, who stormed to a four-length success in the race that stops a nation, could not add a 12th Group 1 to her glittering CV as she failed to reel in 17-2 shot Montefilia, who scored by two lengths to land her fourth top-level success.

Verry Elleegant's jockey James McDonald said: "She has gone good, she just laboured a bit in the ground. She got within three-quarters of a length but the other one took off, it was a good win by the winner."

Verry Elleegant is set to take on Montefilia again in next month's Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick, having finished runner-up to the William Haggas-trained Addeybb in the last two runnings.

Elsewhere on the Rosehill card, 11-1 shot Fireburn caused a surprise when he stormed home to win the A$5million Golden Slipper.

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