NEASHAM CONCERNED ABOUT FARM TRACK

Neasham worries about the Eagle Farm track

Zaaki heads to Eagle Farm in red hot form after registering a maiden Group 1 win in the Doomben Cup but Neasham has been in contact with The Farm track managers to get the surface watered before her stable star competes.

Neasham has confirmed that after emphatic victories in his past two starts Zaaki will line up to compete in the $1.2m Q22 over 2200m a week on Saturday.

Zaaki currently sits as a $1.60 chance to win the Q22 and should he win the $1.2m contest it’s highly likely that his $3.50 favouritism for the Cox Plate will be crunched further in the all in markets.

It seems to have been a consistent story in recent weeks with trainers and jockeys flagging concerns with the Eagle Farm track and Neasham is no exception citing 6mm of irrigation on the track as not enough.

“The track concerns me in general,” Neasham said.

“Zaaki is heading there but I would certainly like them to put a lot more water on it than they did the other day.

“They put 6mm on it last Friday? Come on … it needs more than that, that is not enough is it?

“The feedback I have had from the jockeys who have ridden my horses there is they have certainly said it is very, very firm.

“Zaaki likes firm tracks but Eagle Farm now seems to be a very much a horses for courses track, some horses simply don’t like the firmness there and they don’t let down.

“Holyfield normally doesn’t mind a hard track but he didn’t let down at all on that track last Saturday (finishing 10th in the Fred Best Classic).”

Jockey feedback after Saturday will be critical to the track condition for Stradbroke day with Jockeys in recent weeks all citing the firmness of the track is struggling to back up on a week to week basis.

More News