Hurstville Zagreb’s early-season ambitions for a crack at the ATC Australian Derby were put on ice due to a setback, but hopes remain high he can still prove himself at elite level this campaign.
The promising gelding had won both of his starts and was favoured to take out a 1900m event at Rosehill on March 15 before targeting the Tulloch Stakes (2000m) and then the Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick.
But an unfortunate incident saw him injure his foot after lashing out in the tie-up stalls, forcing his withdrawal from the race. That contest was later taken out by his stablemate King Of Thunder, now a prominent Queensland Derby hope.
Trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton had to pivot quickly, putting spring plans on hold with the aim of getting Hurstville Zagreb back in business for winter targets.
The gelding will resume with a 1050m barrier trial at Randwick on Thursday as the stable plots a fresh course toward a possible tilt at the Queensland Derby alongside his barn mate.
“We will get through the trial and then there are a couple of nice races in Sydney for him,” O’Shea said.
“We will see how he performs there and be guided by his performances in terms of what we do with him going forward.
“But we are open to everything, as always.”
Assuming the trial goes to plan, Hurstville Zagreb is likely to target a 1600m benchmark race at Gosford in a fortnight, with a 2000m Randwick assignment pencilled in two weeks later, and the Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on May 31 as the grand goal.
Also trialling on Thursday is Maximum Dividend, who caught the eye in his first two starts for the stable last spring. After a winning debut at Wyong, he was narrowly beaten by Tajanis over 1900m at Canterbury, with that horse going on to secure Listed success and run second in the Group 2 Auckland Cup.
O’Shea said Maximum Dividend is ticking along well and the team hopes he can build momentum as the preparation unfolds.
“He has come back really well and we’re really pleased with him. He is right on track,” he said.
