Carrying the famous Trelawney Stud silks, the royally bred Savabeel filly Zayydani made the best possible start to her career on the track with an emphatic win in a 1600 metre maiden at Seymour on Thursday.
Ridden by Luke Nolen for the Lindsay Park team, Zayydani was sauntering along minding her own business in last place until Nolen pressed the button just before the home turn.
The response was immediate and the daughter of Savabeel put the race to bed in a matter of strides, hitting the line three and a quarter lengths ahead of Sacred Kiwi (Sacred Falls) with Super Bazooka (Wandjina) a half-head back in third.
Despite winning a trial at Moe nine days ago, the ease of the win proved a pleasant surprise for co-trainer Tom Dabernig.
“I must admit she did nor show a lot at home early, it took a little while for the penny to drop,” Dabernig said.
“We trialled her several times, that’s why we started her first up at a mile. She is clearly going to stay; she’s got a great set of lungs on her. “She travelled nicely in the run and let down sharply, so I think she has got a nice future. She’s got the pedigree there so I think she will just keep on improving.
“I think we will press on a little bit now, but she certainly will be targeted for something a bit nicer in the autumn.
“Well done to Trelawney Stud, hopefully, we can get a bit of black-type with her.”
Zayydani was catalogued for the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale but was withdrawn when her half-brother Grunt reeled off four consecutive wins culminating in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.
The Mick Price-trained son of O’Reilly would claim the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington the following spring before becoming the foundation stallion for Yulong Farm.
Also a half-sister to the recent Happy Valley winner King’s Man and the stakes-placed Addison, Zayydani is the fifth foal and fourth winner out of the winning Van Nistelrooy (USA) mare Ruqqaya who is a half-sister to Horse of the Year in NZ in 2012-13 Ocean Park, now an emerging top-class stallion.
Ruqqaya has a yearling colt by Tivaci and was covered by Savabeel again last spring.
