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Stunning Zenyatta Wins Again
05/10/10

US wondermare Zenyatta came with her customary late charge to claim a last gasp victory in the Grade 1 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Hollywood Park on Saturday and in the process took her incredible unbeaten record to 19, going into next month’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, writes Elliot Slater.

The John Shireffs-trained six-year-old looked in all sorts of trouble as the smart three-year-old filly Switch darted into a three-length lead at the furlong pole, placing Zenyatta’s unbeaten record very much in jeopardy. As if playing to the crowd, Zenyatta, under regular partner Mike Smith, put her head down and visibly quickened to draw alongside with 50 yards to run, before going on close home to take the race by half-a-length in front of a hysterical crowd, most of whom had come specially to see the daughter of Street Cry in the flesh.

Next stop will be Churchill Downs and a bid to end her career with a second Breeders’ Cup success, having silenced the doubters last November when coming with a withering run to gun down star US colt Gio Ponti and Henry Cecil’s high-class Twice Over in an epic race that established Zenyatta as a global equine superstar. With the other star US filly Rachel Alexandra now retired, Zenyatta will have the whole of the racing world focusing on her bid to land a second Classic, and for once I believe that many British and Irish racing fans will be hoping she does make it 20 wins in a row, even if that comes at the main expense of leading European horses such as Twice Over and Fame And Glory.

Zenyatta is already a legend with those looking at horse racing tips, but the icing on the cake would be to go out unbeaten in 20 races, (many of which have been at the very highest level), showing a constitution, a willingness and bravery that has rarely been equalled in the history of horse racing anywhere in the world.