Two-year-old filly Zelia is set to make her much-anticipated racing debut this Saturday in New Zealand, with more than a few curious eyes following her progress. When a young horse wins a trial by an eye-watering 12.5 lengths, it’s bound to generate buzz—and this Australian-bred daughter of Fierce Impact has certainly done just that.
Her debut will take place in an 800m sprint at Riccarton Park, where she’ll face five rivals. For Australian viewers, the race will air bright and early at 9:55 am AEDT, making for an exciting brunch-time event in which she is the $2.15 favourite with online betting sites.
Trainer Paul Walsh admits that Zelia’s dominant trial performance caught him by surprise. Despite the emphatic display, he explained that her earlier trial—less than two weeks prior—gave no hint of what was to come. The first trial, conducted on a synthetic track, was more about gaining experience and practical exposure than showcasing speed.
“I always thought she had potential,” Walsh told Punters. “But on the training track, she didn’t push herself any harder than necessary.”
During her first trial on September 3, Zelia’s main task was barrier practice. According to Walsh, she broke slowly, stayed along the inside rail, and didn’t show much urgency. “She was wearing heavy ears that day—just there to learn the ropes,” he explained.
The dramatic turnaround came during Zelia’s second trial on September 14, where she displayed a completely different attitude. “She went to the gates with her red ears on, and we removed them just before the start,” Walsh said. “After that, she just took off, and even I wasn’t expecting it.”
Walsh admits the performance left him just as shocked as everyone else. “I had no idea she was going to produce that kind of effort—it came out of nowhere,” he said. “It was as much a surprise to me as it was to the crowd.”
With her impressive trial now in the rearview mirror, all attention shifts to Zelia’s debut this Saturday. She’ll line up against five other two-year-olds in a sprint that promises to provide insight into whether her trial performance was a sign of things to come.
While Walsh remains cautiously optimistic, he acknowledges that race day presents a whole new challenge. “We’ve done everything to prepare her, but it’s her first time under real race pressure,” he said. “If she runs like she did at the trials, she’ll certainly be competitive.”
Punters and racing fans alike will be keeping a close eye on Zelia to see how she performs in her first official race. While it remains to be seen whether she can replicate the explosive form she displayed at the trials.