Zedi Knight will be contesting the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) for the year in a row at Moonee Valley on Friday night and trainer Brendan McCarthy believes that the veteran gelding is racing as well as ever.
Zedi Knight finished second behind Black Caviar in the 2012 Australia Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Zedi Knight returned to racing with a fourth place finish behind Vatican in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on December 7 and loomed as the winner before fading late in the Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) at the same venue on Boxing Day.
McCarthy told Racing Ahead this morning that he has been happy with the form of Zedi Knight and is confident that the son of Zeditave will reach his best form the further that he gets into his campaign.
“He always takes a few runs to come back,” McCarthy said.
“He took three runs last time to really get back to his peak, but he travelled really well the other day and was probably travelling better than the winner.
“He loomed up to it, but didn’t quiet finish it off like I would have liked him too.
“The hard track wasn’t in his favor, the olds legs don’t like the pounding like they used to, and I think he just looked after himself a little bit.
“Moonee Valley is a little bit more giving and he does like Moonee Valley very much.
“He is probably going as good as he ever has been.
“I think for him to really get to his peak he is going to need this run, but he is going to go close.”
Zedi Knight is now a nine-year-old and has had 55 career starts, but McCarthy said that the veteran is showing no signs of slowing down and is physically in better shape than he was when he first made his debut as a three-year-old in January of 2009.
“It is not like he is carrying any real problems,” McCarthy said.
“He probably had more problems as a younger horse than he has now, which is surprising for his age.
“He is really well in himself, he has done well and he seems happier when he is in work than when he is out in the paddock.
“He wasn’t flogged as a young horse and he is just holding up really nicely.”
Zedi Knight finished second behind equine superstar Black Caviar in the 2012 edition of the Australia Stakes, but failed to beat home a single runner when seventh behind Sea Lord in last year’s race.
