Lightly raced gelding Zakouma has booked his spot on the first Tuesday in November with a
strong staying performance in the Listed 2800m Andrew Ramsden at Flemington on
Saturday afternoon.
The Grahame Begg-trained five-year-old had to put in a resilient staying performance to hit
the front over the final furlongs with Jordan Childs in the saddle ahead of Pounding and Sir
Chartwell.
“That will get his rating up,” Begg said.” He missed the Mornington Cup because his rating
wasn’t good enough and we had to take stock and drop him back to a 2000m race.
“Last start he didn’t have a lot of luck and didn’t get a chance to get any momentum in the
race.
“We just thought he was in really good order and he came through that race well and why
not, let’s have a go.”
The son out of Dar Es Salaam was forced to settle towards the back of the field in a tempofilled
race.
“They were going to make it a really true staying test,” Begg said.
The Pakenham trainer celebrated Child’s tactics throughout the 2800m trip.
“’I told him (Jordan Childs) to be really patient and just sit and wait and they will come back
to you at some stage, even at the 200m mark, he still had a bit to do, but he is an
extraordinary horse. aerobic capacity is amazing,” he said.
“Hopefully we will be here on the first Tuesday (in November).”
Jockey Jordan Childs said the race unfolded perfectly for the stayer.
“We just wanted to ride him nice and quiet to get the 2800m – I let him begin where he
wanted to begin,” Childs said.
“We just wanted to ride him nice and quiet and to go from 2000m to 2800m is a big jump.
“We floated back and got into a lovely rhythm; it was just a good solid pace. He took a little
bit to wind up and he got stronger and stronger as he got to the line, distance is no
problem.”
Zakouma gives Begg his second Cup qualifier after Lunar Flare won the golden ticket in
2023, but missed the Cup after stewards acted on vets’ advice.
