Roxburgh pacer Zenmach is among the 33 New Zealand Derby nominations announced yesterday, as the connections dream big.
The Geoff and Jude Knight-trained 3yr-old has quickly racked up an impressive record of five wins from eight starts, including four from six this season, despite having to deal with a bug which swept through the Knights' stable.
The Knights and the syndicate are under "no illusions'' that Zenmach will have to improve to match it with the country's best 3yr-olds.
But it made sense to make the first payment of $100 rather than shell out large amounts for late nomination fees further down the track.
The first late nomination fee (for late nominations prior to January 20) is $1000, and the final late nomination fee (up until April 4) is $5000.
The group 1 2600m is run at Addington on April 8.
"If you don't pay and you want to pay a late fee later on, it's dear and he's earned the right to be nominated at least,'' Geoff Knight said.
"It's a big call but I've seen 100-to-one shots win it before.''
Zenmach has not raced since winning at Forbury Park on November 19, although he did run second to open-class pacer Belkmyster at the Roxburgh trials on Sunday.
"He's going to race at Roxburgh on January 4 in a c2 race then he'll probably go to Northern Southland after that,'' Knight said.
"There's a two-to-three win combined [race] there - if he wins at Roxburgh, he'll become a c3, so he'll get in either way.
"We'll reassess and set little targets as we go. The main aim is the Southern Supremacy [on April 17] so we'll give him little breaks here and there and pick some races which he can be competitive in.''
There is little surprise to see the All Stars Stables training partnership of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen providing six of the 33 nominations, headlined by Chase The Dream, Lazarus and Waikiki Beach.
Robert Dunn has Bite The Bullet and early-season star Franco Cristiano.
The Steven Reid and Simon McMullan-prepared Art Form headlines a strong North Island presesence.
NZ Derby
The nominations
Alta Las Vegas, Art Form, Beaudiene Beaufighta, Benicio, Bite The Bullet, Blade, Buster Brady, Chase The Dream, Classie Brigade, Dreamy Damien, Franco Cristiano, Galactic Star, Hall Of Fame, Ideal World, Kenrick, Lazarus, Mo Casino, Mongolian Archer, Motown, Motu Premier, Omar Sharif, Our Quinn, Scotlynn Jack, Shandale, Stroke Of Luck, Swamp Major, Torrid Bromac, Touch Of Success, Waikiki Beach, Walkinshaw, Zach Maguire, Zadaka, Zenmach
