Pasha set for Shelbourne date at the Winter Festival
Owner Birol Nadir has said that the Jimmy Fenwick-trained stayer Zenith Pasha will be aimed for the Winter Festival at Shelbourne at the end of November.
Picture from Monmore X feed
Winter Festival the target for Zenith Pasha
UK interest in the Winter Racing Festival at Shelbourne Park in November looks set to build after news that Jimmy Fenwick's Zenith Pasha will head across the Irish Sea to take in the two-day bonanza on November 27-28 at the Dublin venue.
Trained by Newcastle handler Fenwick for owner Birol Nadir, Zenith Pasha was edged out by his half-sister Droopys Flare in a thrilling final of the stayers' Classic at Dunstall Park last week and now looks set to return to the venue where he made a winning debut in July in 28.42 in a race in which Irish Derby semi-finalist Low Profile was among his rivals.
Later a heat winner in the Kirby Memorial at Limerick - in a race which featured subsequent English Derby hero Lennies Eddie as well as Irish Produce Stakes winner Berlin Trilogy - before heading to Fenwick's Northumberland base, Zenith Pasha has always been highly regarded by connections.
Reflecting on the St Leger, owner Nadir said they could not have asked for any more from the January 24 son of Droopys Sydney and Droopys Dancer, a half-brother of his St Leger conqueror Droopys Flare and another exceptional sort in Droopys Kathleen.
"It really is a game of inches and Pasha is a champion," he said. "Droopys Flare, his older more experienced sister, was just too close to him coming out of the second but he made her work really hard and then came back for more and nearly pinched it going down by the smallest of margins.
"It was close but we couldn't be more proud of him. He's the sort of dog you could write a book about but he'll do the talking in the coming months. He's just started out in the six-bend game but is now six from nine over a trip and not beaten far in the other three!" added Nadir of the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic third at Monmore.
"We thought he was over-priced each-way ante-post for the St Leger at 16-1 and it always looked one of the bets of the year. And hopefully the next year will see Pasha really show his class and that there's plenty to look forward to.
"Jimmy (Fenwick) is doing fantastic job with him and was so close to a famous double at Dunstall Park. Well done to the maestro - and to 'Mrs Maestro' Melanie, too - for what they're doing with Woltemade. He's unbelievable and is so good for the kennel, as is having Pasha I hope and some other very nice types.
"We've got plenty to look forward to with Pasha and are now looking forward to heading back to Dublin for the 750yd race there at the Winter Racing Festival - and I'm hearing there could be a few other UK-trained runners heading there which is great."
