Nature Strip turned in a trademark performance at Monday's Warwick Farm trials, but there was no shortage of connections happy with what they saw behind the world champion sprinter.
Annabel Neasham was particularly buoyant after seeing Zaaki cruise into fourth position in the star-studded 824-metre trial on Good ground.
The four-time Group 1 winner was ridden by Brett Prebble with regular riders James Mcdonald and Jamie Kah on the way back from Hong Kong and Neasham said the top jockey's report was encouraging.
"Zaaki trialled quite sharp," she told RSN927. "Obviously it was a star-studded trial and there was a bit of a mixture of sprinters, middle-distance (horses) and stayers, but I thought his action was really good.
"He always does trial well, but Brett hadn't sat on him before and he said he felt great, so I'm looking forward to this preparation with him."
Zaaki travelled midfield in the trial that was led by Nature Strip and worked to the line under light riding to finish two lengths from Chris Waller's multiple Horse of the Year winner.
Zaaki's performance gave Neasham heart that he is on track to be a force in the $600,000 Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick on March 4 before a possible second-up tilt at the $5 million All-Star Mile (1600m), a race he won last year.
"We still haven't fully decided what the campaign may be, but he'll have another trial then he'll be ready to go," Neasham said.
"At this stage, we're probably looking to kick Zaaki off in the Canterbury Stakes, which was the plan last year before it was very wet and we diverted to the Blamey Stakes.
"He goes very well fresh and the Canterbury Stakes is a Group 1, so we were keen to try him over that sort of trip fresh and then that would be a couple of weeks into the All-Star Mile."
Zaaki was not the only member of the beaten brigade from Monday's trial who would have got a big tick from connections with normally sluggish trialler Fireburn steaming home along the inside to finish runner-up, 1-1/4 lengths from Nature Strip.
Riodini finished third, while Group 1 winner September Run was just behind Zaaki. The Everest runner-up Private Eye (sixth), Caulfield Cup winner Durston (seventh) and glamour Godolphin filly In Secret (eighth) all settled towards the rear and had quiet trials.
