Highveld trainer Dominic Zaki had his second highest ever seasonal stakes earnings in the term just past and is expecting this season to be even better.

Zaki relocated to the Vaal training centre about four years ago and his yard looks to have a lot of feature race potential to look forward to this season, particularly with some of the exciting youngsters that emerged at the beginning of this year.

His Gr 1 SA Nursery winner Arabian Beat will be having one preparation run before being aimed at the Gr 2 R450,000 Merchants over 1160m at Turffontein (the course and distance of the SA Nursery) on Sansui Summer Cup day, November 28. The Merchants is a handicap so the three-year-old Black Minnaloushe colt won’t have it easy considering the handicapper has accorded him a merit rating of 110. Arabian beat was caught late in the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day by the subsequently named Equus Two-Year-Old Male champion Seventh Plain., but he did jump from a wide draw that day so could be forgiven for running out of steam late. However,

Zaki will keep him to sprints for the time being and this is not surprising as the sprint division in the country has been thrown wide open by the retirement of the Equus Sprint Champion Captain Of All as well as the brilliant filly Alboran Sea. However, he hasn’t ruled out putting the colt over further later on in his career.

Zaki is viewing his classy son of Toreador, Prospect Strike, as a classic hopeful and this gelding will likely go straight into the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein on October 31 before being aimed at the Gr 2 Investec Dingaans over 1600m on Summer Cup day. This well-bred individual finished a fast-finishing third in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion (1200m) at Scottsville and followed that two runs later with a runner up finish in the Gr 1 Premiers Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville. He jumped from unfavourable draws on both occasions. Prospect Stike has won his other two career outings, over 1200m and 1400m respectively, by margins of 12,75 and 4,65 lengths so is clearly a decent sort.

Bull Valley is another son of Toreador that the yard have high hopes for and he will also be aimed at the Graham Back and Dingaans, although he will have a preparation run in a forthcoming 1200m handicap. Bull Valley won impressively by 2,5 lengths over 1200m on debut at the Vaal in May and the form looks strong with three winners having come out of the race, including Nephrite who went on to finish fifth in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes. The yard gelded Bull Valley after his debt and decided to rest him for the rest of the winter.

On the three-year-old fillies front Leila’s Charger, an Australian-bred by Charge Forward, will run early next month before taking in the Gr 3 Starling Stakes over 1400m on October 31 and the Gr 3 Fillies Mile on Summer Cup day. She charged to a 5,25 length victory on debut over 1160m at Turffontein on August 2, beating a Mike de Kock-trained Trippi filly who had been backed into even money after a decent debut. Leila’s Charger’s form is looking strong because the filly Inyanga, whom she beat by 8,6 lengths, came out and won by five lengths over the same course and distance.

The yard’s surprise horse from last season was the Judpot filly Little Genie, who finished an eleven length third over 1160m on debut before running unplaced over 1600m. However, she was then brought back to 1200m and blitzed the field, winning by 7,25 lengths. First time out the maidens in a handicap off a merit rating of 77 and carrying a weight of 58,5kg she was even more impressive over 1000m, once again winning by 7,25 lengths. Zaki described this now four-year-old filly as one who was “getting better all the time.” He will keep her to 1000m “maximum” and after running her next week he could target her at a couple of feature races. He believes she will go well on sand too.

Zaki believed his classy Captain Al speedster Precursor would “without a doubt” stay the 1450m trip of the Gr 2 R1 million Supreme Cup sponsored by SAP on September 26, especially considering he had landed the pole position draw. His dam Oracle News was indeed a classy sprint-miler.

The yard also have Lavender Landscape in the Supreme Cup, but considering it might be on the sharp side they haven’t yet decided whether he will run there or in an 1800m event on the same day.

The yard’s good stayer Storm Warning has benefitted from a wind operation and ran on strongly for a 2,65 length fourth in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup. Shimmering Gem is the other feature class stayer in the yard and this pair will be aimed at the Listed Java Handicap over 2450m on October 31 and the Gr 3 Racing Association Handicap over 3200m on Summer Cup day.

Three decent sprinters in the yard, Bad Boy Buddy Boy, Victorious and Valberg are being aimed at the Listed Golden Loom Handicap over 1000m on October 31. Valberg hasn’t run since two below par runs in January and February and that is because he was given a wind operation. He has always been highly regarded so is one to keep an eye on as the operation might bring a new lease of life.

Zaki finished in 16^th place on the National log in the past season with earnings of R6,259,275. However, the yard’s record position on the log has been 6^th in both the 2004/2005 and 2006/2007 seasons and in the latter of those seasons they had their highest ever earnings, R7,213,175.

Zaki was full of praise for the excellent training tracks at The Vaal training centre and all of the facilities in general. His yard is now clearly well established there and look ready to break back into the top ten on the national log.

By David Thiselton