Australia: Mugatoo, Sir Dragonet renew rivalry in Doomben Cup
Mugatoo and Sir Dragonet have already claimed major prizes in Australia this year in advance of their third meeting of 2021 in Saturday’s Group 1 Doomben Cup at Doomben Racecourse in Brisbane.
Mugatoo won the $3.85 million All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley on March 13, a race in which Sir Dragonet finished ninth of 15. Sir Dragonet later won the Group 1 Tancred Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Royal Randwick Racecourse on April 3.
Sir Dragonet and Mugatoo were fifth and sixth in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Randwick on April 17 behind Addeybb and Verry Elleegant, the two leading older horses to race in Australia this year.
:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing
While Mugatoo and Sir Dragonet have accomplished race records, they will not be favored in the $543,760 Doomben Cup, run at 1 1/4 miles.
Zaaki, imported from Great Britain last winter, was the 8-5 choice in early betting as of Thursday. From the stable of first-year trainer Annabel Neasham, Zaaki won the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Gold Coast Racecourse on May 8 in a style that suggests he is improving with each start in Australia.
Earlier this year, the 6-year-old Zaaki was sixth of 15 in the Grade 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 10, a very tough assignment for an Australian debut, and a promising second in the Group 3 JRA Plate at 1 1/4 miles at Randwick on April 24.
Zaaki was a two-time stakes winner in Britain in 2019, but was winless in four starts – all in stakes – in 2020 when trained by Michael Stoute.
Zaaki will be ridden by James McDonald, who was aboard for the win in the Hollindale, a true prep for the Doomben Cup.
The second- through sixth-place finishers in the Hollindale - Fifty Stars, Shared Ambition, Avilius, Humidor and Toffee Tongue – are part of a field of 12 in the Doomben Cup along with Melody Belle and Nettoyer, who finished 10th and 12th.
Melody Belle, the New Zealand Horse of the Year for the 2018-19 and 2019-2020 seasons, won a record 14th Group 1 for a New Zealand-bred horse in the Bonecrusher Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Ellerslie Racecourse on March 13, but was sixth in the Tancred Stakes in her following start.
Melody Belle is scheduled be sold as a broodmare prospect on Tuesday.
The Doomben Cup is the seventh race on a nine-race program that begins at 9:34 p.m., Eastern, or 6:34 p.m., Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.