Cambridge witnesses champion trotter

Champion Australian trotting mare Keayang Zahara (Volstead) may be the best trotter this country has ever seen and she demonstrated just that in winning tonight’s $530,000 Listed TAB Trot at Cambridge.

“We did a little bit out of the gate and I knew it was going to be tactical. Pete (Peter McMullen driving Gus) rolled out of the gate then he went back. I knew he was going to come at some stage. He’s a great horse and was one of the big dangers. He made a race of it, so kudos to him. But this one, she’s a freak pure and simple,” driver Jason Lee said after the win.

From her handy barrier, Lee took her to the top and was able to pinch some easy early sectionals. After that it was game over.

“She’s crazy fast. You don’t even know she’s doing it, she does it so easy. One of the great attributes of her now is that she relaxes and you have to ask her to quicken. When Gus came I quickened a little bit but he came that quick I had to ask her again. Once she got back up and ready to boogie, she was just super,” he said.

The big crowd roared as the darling of trotting cruised down to the line to beat stablemate Jilliby Ballerini by five and a half lengths.

KEAYANG ZAHARA REPLAY

“It’s so good to be here in front of a big crowd. They were loud and noisy and that’s what it’s all about. I’m pumped. To have the first couple home is just great for the family.”

Her winning time of 2-41.0 was outside the race and New Zealand record of 2-38.4 held by 2025 winner Arcee Phoenix, but Keayang Zahara did lower the New Zealand mares record of 2-41.9 previously held by Habibti Ivy.

The win was Keayang Zahara’s biggest pay day in her twenty-nine career start.

“It’s just cool to be able to travel with horses like this. You dream of doing these things when you’re a kid and you never think you’re going to sit behind an absolute champion like this.”

Leading into tonight’s trotting feature there was some doubt over whether Keayang Zahara would make the trip.

“She probably didn’t trot as well as we would have liked in Sydney even though she raced really well. We were just a little cautious with the way she trotted through her gait. We took her home and she had a little bit of a muscle strain through the back and we just wanted to make sure we got on top of that before confirming we were coming over here. We took the option to trial on our local track and once she ticked the boxes in that trial, we were keen to get over here,” Paddy said.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink