Mark Zahra backs Tentyris to overcome weight in Newmarket

Mark Zahra, the jockey, doesn't see the allocated weight for Tentyris as a barrier to the colt capturing the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.

To win the Group 1 1200m event at Flemington on Saturday, Tentyris must replicate the weight record set by Ajax back in 1938.

The 57kg impost matches what Fastnet Rock lugged as a three-year-old to place second behind Alinghi in the 2005 Newmarket, after successes in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes and Group 1 Oakleigh Plate.

Tentyris came back from a fruitful spring where he took the Coolmore Stud Stakes over Saturday's course and distance amid Melbourne Cup week, then dominated the Lightning Stakes on February 14.

"I don't think weight has got much to do with it as I'm a heavy weight jockey," Zahra said.

"All the rating's gurus might think a bit different, but I worked him Monday and he absolutely flew.

"He's flying, so I don't think the weight will stop him."

Wednesday saw Zahra's effective return to racing at Caulfield Heath post-injury layoff.

Knowing two elite three-year-olds were slated for autumn action, he strained every fiber to recover.

Zahra arrived too late for Observer's victory in last week's Australian Guineas, yet was keen to ride Tentyris in the Newmarket Handicap.

"If it had of been any other time, I probably would have taken my time with it, but I just couldn't afford to," Zahra said.

"The horses I had lined up for autumn, was unbelievable.

"I was trying to get back for Observer, but the doctor said that was five weeks and that might be pushing it a bit, but when you have a goal, for a horse like this, it definitely helps getting up early, getting to physio twice a week and that sort of stuff."

A 'v' fracture at the upper tibia afflicted Zahra, but his ACL remained intact thankfully.

"They said you don't break that bone without doing the ACL, so that was one good thing, I suppose," Zahra said.

"I was non-weight bearing for 10 days and after that I was straight back into it, but I was doing some rehab when I was on crutches.

"The surgeon said you will know when you've done too much, it will swell up and be sore. I pushed it to the limit most of the way, and it's absolutely fine now."

In five from eight starts for Tentyris, Zahra has been aboard, including two straight-course wins at Flemington among three total victories.

Flemington fits Tentyris' style perfectly, according to Zahra, once he and the Freedman trainers cracked the code.

"If you get his first half of the race right and he's happy, you can see he pins his ears back and lets fly," Zahra said.

"The straight really suits him. You don't have to chase to keep in touch and when you do that, it takes his finish away.

"He's a funny horse, he doesn't want to go early, but the further he goes, he knows, and halfway through he will start to bridle up and then by the 300 (metres), if he's on song, you're skiing off him and he's ready to let rip.

"He's a beast."

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