Opinion: Zahra Proves He’s One Of The Best

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 01: Mark Zahra is kissed by wife Elyse Zahra after riding Gold Trip to win Race 7, the Lexus Melbourne Cup, during 2022 Lexus Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 01, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)

MARK Zahra took the riding honours at Sandown Hillside on Saturday with what could only be assessed as an exemplary ride in the final event to win on Glory Daze.

During the week a Sydney-based website assessed the merit of Australian jockeys rating the top 30 hoops in the land.

There were some eyebrows raising assessments and none more so than Damien Oliver being rated in 11th spot.

Zahra, who won last year’s Melbourne Cup came in at number eight and there were plenty of comments about him some querying his lofty position.

In reality, how do you assess any jockey as it’s a lot to do with opportunity? Zahra is one who makes the most of his opportunities and as one good judge said he never rides a bad race.

The land’s second biggest stable Maher and Eustace wouldn’t be using him if he wasn’t.

He certainly sits in the top echelon of riders.

There’s probably no doubt James McDonald is rated the number one rider but he too can ride an ordinary race.

The bottom line is the depth of the Australian jockey ranks goes deep. Check out the quality of riders riding at the Saturday provincial meetings underlines this.

Sky Racing’s form analyst Brad Davidson had a crack on twitter at the tactics on Shalatin who was ridden by Nash Rawiller and trained by Joe Pride when he finished second as a $1.35 favourite at Goulburn on Sunday.

Pride fired back at Davidson saying obviously he was a better rider than Rawiller.

Interestingly Shalatin has headed to the spelling paddock.

Again it’s a race and sometimes jockeys and trainers will get it right and other times they won’t.

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