A Breednet One To Watch when winning on debut at Seymour in October 2019, and a Best On Breeding after making it two in a row on the same track three weeks later, Zayydani went winless in nine starts before breaking through at the Gold Coast in June.
The daughter of Savabeel then earned her first stakes success in the Listed Tatts's QLD Gold Crown at Eagle Farm and credited the newly formed partnership of Ben and JD Hayes with their first winner.
The 5yo Trelawney Stud homebred took her record to five wins, two seconds, and three thirds from 17 starts with earnings of $428,025 with a brave performance in Saturday’s Group II TAB Matriarch Stakes (2000m).
Luke Nolen went where angels fear to tread, sticking fast to the rails. Zayydani fought on courageously to defeat the Showcasing mare Our Intrigue by half a neck with the More Than Ready (USA) mare Starelle a length back in third.
“It’s really exciting. It was a target race for the stable, and it is just a huge thrill," JD Hayes said.
“It is a great to get a result for the breeders Trelawney Stud's Brent and Cherry Taylor. They’ve got a very valuable Group II winning mare now.
“She was our first winner as a partnership in a race in Queensland and she’s done a great job to come and hold her form into Cup Week. To top it off with a Group II Matriarch is unbelievable.”
A half-sister to Yulong Stud's Group 1 VRC Australian Guineas and Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes winner Grunt (O'Reilly) and stakes-placed Addison (Jimmy Choux), Zayydani is one of four winners from as many to race out of Ocean Park's half-sister Ruqqaya (Van Nistelrooy).
Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ) went $500,000 to secure Ruqqaya's Tivaci colt out of the Trelawney draft at the 2020 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale. Named Gmork he is in the Danny O’Brien stable.
Ruqqaya has a 2yo Savabeel filly and was covered by Super Seth last spring after missing to Tivaci in 2019.
