History says it will be difficult for Wild Ruler to win the Oakleigh Plate, but his jockey Mark Zahra believes he is partnering the right runner in Saturday's Caulfield sprint.
Wild Ruler, an 8/1 chance, has to lump the equal top-weight of 58 kilograms and since the race went metric in 1973, only one horse, Flamberge in 2016, has carried that burden to victory.
It is no doubt a task for the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained sprinter to overcome, but what Zahra felt underneath him when partnering Wild Ruler at Caulfield earlier this week clearly gives him confidence.
The Moir Stakes winner will jump from barrier six in the 13-runner field, aiming for his second top-flight victory following his win at The Valley last September.
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A first career outing at Caulfield now beckons and Zahra is in no doubt that the four-year-old will be ready to go in a race that ill be shown on the our Sports Live Streaming platform.
"It was the first time I've been on him, and he was really relaxed," Zahra said. "His work was really good and the further we went, the more he improved through it and he worked well enough to run a very good race on Saturday.
"There's always a heap of pressure in this race so you need a horse that has a bit of speed so you can be somewhere in touch, and I would think he won't be too far away. The Snowdens are very good trainers and they've targeted this race for a little while. He's set and ready to go."
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