Team Zav steal star mare for Eureka slot

Star mare Major Delight (Bettor’s Delight) will get the chance to try and match what her former harness racing stablemate Encipher did last year and win the world’s richest harness race.

The Emma Stewart-trained Major Delight, who boasts 21 wins from just 26 starts, became the second confirmed mare in this year’s $2.1mil TAB Eureka when high-profile owners Danny and Jo Zavitsanos through their “Team Zav” slot.

She joins the Luke McCarthy-trained Eye Keep Smiling, who landed the Wayne Loader slot, as the two confirmed mares in the September 7 feature at Club Menangle.

Encipher was the last confirmed runner in the Aaron Bain Racing and Summit Bloodstock slot last year when she won the inaugural TAB Eureka in sparkling style.

“We’ve done things differently this year,” Danny Zavitsanos said. “We were first to announce our runner last year when Captain Ravishing ran third, but this year we’ve held back waiting for the right horse and we think Major Delight is it.

“It’s been just as nerve-racking. We’re grateful to all the people who have put their horses forward and we would have liked to have used our slot on our own horse, Petracca, but he just isn’t ready yet.

“We owe it to the TAB Eureka to go with the best possible horse and in partnering with Peter Lewis’ Major Delight, we think we’ve done that.

“She’s been very impressive with three tough wins from three starts this campaign and being a mare she will draw well and we think we’ve got the right formula to follow Encipher’s spectacular win last year.

“It’s such a special and important race for the industry and we can’t wait to be part of it again with Major Delight.”

In their typical “giving” style, Team Zav has committed to a slice of any winning prize money from the TAB Eureka going back to their home track (Geelong) to go towards new lightning and they will share the experience with popular Geelong harness identity and enthusiast, Sam Lockhart.

“Sam’s a legend at the Geelong club and he’ll be part of the Team Zav experience right through the TAB Eureka. He’ll go to all the events and we’ll cover his flights and accommodation for the trip.”

Major Delight’s confirmation leaves just two “official” slots in the TAB Eureka, those of TAB and leviathan Queensland owners Kevin and Kay Seymour.

But doubts still linger over the form of The Lost Storm and whether he will remain in the Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock slot.

The other confirmed TAB Eureka runners are: Never Ending (Soho Standardbreds); Captains Knock (Cordina Racing); Free Thinker (Racing Queensland); Fighter Command (Tasracing); Don Hugo (John Singleton).

by Adam Hamilton, for The Eureka