Racing: Long-term tip has Zabeat a serious Melbourne Cup contender

There are long-term tips and then there are tips that disappear into time.

Donna Logan offered one of the latter after Zabeat finished second to Kajema at Te Rapa on Saturday.

"This bloke will be a serious Melbourne Cup horse next year."

That's right, NEXT year, not this coming November.

After Zabeat won the Wellington Cup in January few trainers would resist the temptation to run in this November's Melbourne Cup. Logan is and she reckons the stable will be that much better for what looks to be a remarkable piece of patience.

"He came back better for his Queensland trip last winter and won the Wellington Cup. He has improved since the Wellington Cup and will improve again next year.

"He's still six months away from maturity and when he achieves that watch out - he'll be a very serious horse."

Because Melbourne in the spring is being disregarded, Logan has aimed Zabeat at the Queensland carnival again, the big mission being the Brisbane Cup. In terms of handicap it is a relatively safe race to win because the Victorian handicappers have ignored the Adelaide and Brisbane Cup winners when framing the Melbourne Cup weights.

"The Prime Minister's Cup on the Gold Coast is a chance, but there is a race at Eagle Farm the following day which is an easier option and I'm big on taking easy options on the way through to the big races."

Zabeat finished nicely for his second to runaway winner Kajema.

Trudy Thornton had Kajema rolling along in front throughout and never looked like being picked up.

Thornton didn't know what to say to trainer Roger James after the victory. Before it she told him: "This horse would make a nice jumper."

The 5-year-old had won only three career races before Saturday and, without being unkind, there have probably been the odd one who thought the same as Thornton.

James has nominated the Rotorua Cup as Kajema's target.

"I felt he was a hope today because he carried 57kg last start and finished second to Cool Talk who he gave something like 5kg to and who has won again since. That made the form look good when he dropped to 52kg today.

"I'm so pleased for the owners - he was unlucky in the Derby two and a half years ago and it's been a long time between drinks."

Stablemates Mistrale (4th) and Grace and Favour (8th) failed to live up to expectations, but the latter made good ground late after drifting to an impossible position at the 800m.