FORMER Derby trial winner Zaitech showed there was life in the old dog yet when finishing all over the top of well-backed favourite Big Apple to cause an upset in the season's opening event. Zaitech has had a few trainers in his seven years. He started as a headstrong two-year-old with Alec Stewart in Newmarket, England. He then joined Brian Kan Ping-chee, for whom he was winning yesterday, but has been with a few others in the meantime. He had a spell with Patrick Biancone when he first came to the territory from France at the start of the 1990-91 season and then moved to Bruce Hutchison. From the white-haired mentor it was off to Ivan Allan and then back to Kan making Zaitech the Zsa Zsa Gabor of racing. In the meantime Zaitech had dropped down to a mark which allowed him to take a voluntary demotion and race at the top of Class Five. He looked to have plenty to do under Felix Coetzee when Big Apple swung into the straight with Johnny Marshall holding a double handful on John Moore's sprinter. Marshall sent him to the front some 300 metres from home, having earlier taken the perfect sit as noted speedsters Blue Baron and Fortune Collect made it a fierce pace during the first half of the race. It was a pace which suited Coetzee and Zaitech as, even accounting for Marshall's refusal to allow Big Apple to get into throat-cutting exercise up on the speed, it must have sapped something from Big Apple's finish. It also set up the race for Zaitech to come flying down the centre of the track as Coetzee timed his challenge to perfection. They won going away from Big Apple by a length and three quarters with Double Delight third and Cheerful Prince, Stephen Leung's first runner as a licensed trainer, a creditable fourth. Double Delight was not done any favours in the home straight as Eric Legrix on Cheerful Prince, kept him boxed. With this in mind, there could be some improvement in Double Delight next time out when he will also be that much fitter.
