I Am Zelady 1st Adelaide runner for Pride in Robert Sangster Stakes

Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride will saddle up his first runner in Adelaide when I Am Zelady lines up in the Group 1 $1m Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

I Am Zelady, above, will be stepping up to Group 1 company for the first time in the Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville. Photo by Daniel Costello.

I Am Zelady, above, will be stepping up to Group 1 company for the first time in the Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville. Photo by Daniel Costello.

I Am Zelady will be making her Group 1 debut in the Robert Sangster Stakes after Pride decided to give her a chance at the top level following her last start second to Nieta in a 1000m BenchMark 90 Handicap at Randwick on April 22.

“This will be a big week for me. I’m taking My Psychiatrist to Wagga for the Cup and then I ‘m going to Adelaide for the first time,” Pride told AAP.

“I have had runners in every other mainland state.

“It’s a million dollar race so it’s hard not to go. She leaves today (Tuesday) because unfortunately she has to go by road because there are no flights.

“Noel Callow rides and I’m looking forward to it.”

Even though I Am Zelady is yet to win a Listed or Group race, she has amassed over $900,000 in prizemoney for her connections courtesy of a win and a second in successive years in 2016 and 2017 in the $1m Magic Millions Fillies and Mares (1300m) at the Gold Coast.

I Am Zelady has drawn barrier seven in the capacity twenty horse Robert Sangster Stakes field with Noel Callow to ride and the five year mare will be facing a tough task taking on Group 1 company for the first time.

Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au have rated I Am Zelady as one of the outsiders of the field at $31 while the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained English and Lindsay Park’s Sheidel battle it out for favouritism at the top of the market order at $4.60 each.

English has drawn barrier eleven with Ben Melham in the saddle taking over from Blake Shinn who was aboard the Encosta De Lago mare for her last four starts, including a second to Chautauqua two starts back in the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 1 followed by a sixth to Tivaci in the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick a fortnight later.

Hong Kong’s leading jockey Joao Moreira will be re-united with Sheidel who drew barrier ten in the Robert Sangster Stakes and is coming off a last start sixth to Silent Sedition in the Group 1 $500,000 Keogh Homes William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 24.

The ‘Magic Man’ is hoping to keep his winning association with Sheidel intact after having ridden the mare twice for two wins in the Group 3 $200,000 Sensis Stakes (1100m) at Flemington during the 2016 Melbourne Carnival and in the Group 1 $500,000 The Resimax Group Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield in the Autumn.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.