Zhukova To Seek Further Group 1 Glory

Dermot Weld is no hurry to decide on plans with his latest Grade I winner Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). The master of Rosewell House on The Curragh has won top-level events all over the world and his shrewd piece of race planning paid dividends last Saturday when the Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez owned 5-year-old outclassed her rivals in the GI Man O'War S. at Belmont. To make victory even sweeter, Zhukova was bred by Weld's late mother Marguerite out of Nightime (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas for the trainer in 2006. Zhukova had been well beaten at her only previous attempt in a Group 1, but Weld certainly wasn't surprised with the manner of her victory on Saturday.

“I thought the conditions of the race suited and the weight conditions were attractive,” he said. “The actual ground conditions were what we wanted and the rain came. She's a high-class filly and won three group races in Ireland last year. Don't forget she beat Found twice and on that form she had an outstanding chance.”

Zhukova has a range of options both at home and in the U.S. and Weld will decide on a plan in the coming days.

“I'll speak to the owner first, but there is a slight possibility she'll stay there and run in the [GI] Manhattan [June 10] or she could come home and we'd look at the [G1] Pretty Polly [at The Curragh July 2],” he said, considering that his charge prefers ground with some give in it. “We might even leave her off for the summer and look at the Yorkshire Oaks and Arc. That's probably more likely. I've always felt that she would be a very good mare as a 5-year-old. She loves an ease in the ground.”