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Zaaki draws 9 while Sir Dragonet and Mugatoo will jump from inside gates
Annabel Neasham has told her rival trainers that their horses will have to be in peak condition if they are to beat Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux) in the Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) on Saturday.
The British-bred gelding was last seen demolishing his rivals in the AD Hollindale Stakes (Gr 2, 1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 8 and he has drawn barrier nine in the Group 1 this weekend.
"If Zaaki runs up to what he did the other day, or God forbid if he has improved, they are going to have to be on top of their game to beat him," Neasham told The Courier Mail.
"I was trembling post-race on the Gold Coast, simply at the ease of how he did it. Watching him demolish a field like that was pretty surreal, it was a very good feeling.
"I thought he would be hard to beat, but to put away a field like that was pretty impressive.
"I hope I get the same feeling again on Saturday."
Zaaki galloped at Doomben on Tuesday and Neasham was happy with what she saw.
"At about the 200 (metres) today he jumped something, I think it's just a sign of him being very well and probably doing the work a bit easy," Neasham said.
"He also jumped a shadow in his trial once and did something a bit strange at the winning post on the Gold Coast the other day. That's just him being fresh and well.
"As long as he has got his ears pricked and he's feeling fresh, that's the way to have him. The Doomben Cup is not normally as strong as this, it's normally a good field but this race on Saturday has got Melbourne and Sydney Group 1 form.
"It's a credit to the carnival up here for attracting horses of this calibre to come up."
Among Zaaki's 11 rivals is Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Sir Dragonet (Camelot) and he will jump from barrier two in the Group 1, while All-Star Mile (1600m) winner Mugatoo (Henrythenavigator) has been drawn alongside him in gate one.
Meanwhile, multiple Group 1 winner Melody Belle (Commands) will be looking to land her final start when she tackles the Doomben Cup on Saturday and she has drawn barrier eight.
The six-year-old mare had her final gallop at the Gold Coast with regular rider Opie Bosson aboard ahead of her final raceday start Saturday, after which she will be offered at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast next week.
"She worked well and in her customary style," trainer Jamie Richards told SENTrack. "She worked on the course proper over 1200 metres and did some nice work on her own, and I was really happy with her."
Richards said she also got the tick of approval from Bosson, who arrived in the Gold Coast on Monday evening.
"Not only does he know her well on raceday, but he has ridden her in the majority of her decent gallops throughout her career as well," Richards said.
"When he came back in he gave a big thumbs up and a smile, that was good to see."
The daughter of Commands (Danehill) finished tenth in the Hollindale Stakes earlier this month and Richards said he is expecting to see plenty of improvement from his mare following that run.
"We just didn't have the rub of the green heading into the Hollindale, she had a few niggly things going on," he said.
"I think we have got past all of that now and she goes into the race in good shape, she should be competitive."
