The newly formed partnership of Ben and JD Hayes is off and running, with their first winner coming with Zayydani in Saturday's $200,000 Listed Tattersall's Gold Crown (2137m) at Eagle Farm.
Ridden by Andrew Mallyon, the 4yo daughter of Savabeel swept down the outside fence to defeat Walking Flying (Savabeel) by two and three-quarter lengths with Windermere (All Too Hard) a long-head back in third.
Sporting the silks of Trelawney Stud's Brent and Cherry Taylor, Zayydani advanced her record to four wins, two seconds, and two thirds from 13 starts with earnings of $227,325.
Long-time Lindsay Park assistant trainer Gary Fennessy said it was the best possible start for the new partnership.
"This is a big moment as this is their first winner as a team, so they will be rapt in winning a stakes race," Fennessy said.
"Ben has been in the system for ten years, and JD has been working for the past three or four years at Euroa.
Fennessy said that Zayydani had to overcome plenty of problems earlier in the preparation.
"A month ago, I would no have given two bob for her," he revealed.
"She got hurt in the float, and I thought she was buggered for this campaign. She made a miraculous recovery to win at the (Gold) Coast before winning here.
"She hasn't had the hell worked out of her, but she is tough. I thought on the corner she was struggling, then the next minute I thought she is going to win this, so it is great."
Zayydani has been a bit of a favourite at Breednet. The Trelawny homebred earned a 'One To Watch' when breaking her maiden at Seymour in October 2019 and was the subject of a 'Best On Breeding' before her luckless seventh in the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks in April last year. (View that story here).
The daughter of Savabeel was fourth in a high-class renewal of the South Australian Derby won by Russian Camelot from Dalasan and Warning.
A half-sister to Yulong Stud's Group 1 VRC Australian Guineas and Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes winner Grunt (O'Reilly) and stakes-placed Addison (Jimmy Choux), Zayydani is one of four winners from as many to race out of Ocean Park's half-sister Ruqqaya (Van Nistelrooy).
Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ) went $500,000 to secure Ruqqaya's Tivaci colt out of the Trelawney draft at the 2020 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
Ruqqaya has a yearling Savabeel filly and was covered by Super Seth last spring after missing to Tivaci in 2019.
Zayydani becomes the 115th stakes-winner for Waikato Stud's champion stallion Savabeel who stands in 2021 at a fee of $100,000 (plus gst).
