By Simon Dinopoulos
No horse has won back-to-back Doomben Cups this century, a feat Zaaki is aiming to complete at Doomben on Saturday.
You have to go back almost 30 years to find the last to do so with superstar galloper Rough Habit successful in 1991, 1992 and 1993.
Rough Habit won his first Doomben Cup by over four lengths, before winning by a nose and a neck.
He was rated 126 for his 4.3 length triumph, the same rating returned by Zaaki in the feature event last year.
The Hollindale Stakes appears the key lead up with the first four home heading the market this weekend.
From a ratings perspective, Zaaki was off his game, returning a Timeform rating of 119, his third lowest performance since winning the Hollindale Stakes last year.
During that time he has run over 120 on eight of 11 occasions, which is just remarkable.
Rightfully installed the long odds-on favourite, if Zaaki is able perform at a level beyond 120, it puts him out of his opposition’s reach.
It should be a competitive race behind him, however if the real Zaaki stands up, that’s all it will be, a race for the minor placings.