Zyanya’s return rewarded with Central Wheatbelt Cup win

Zyanya’s (Follow The Stars) comeback to the races is nothing short of a miracle, but to then go on to reward her harness racing owners with a win in the $11,000 2023 Shire of Kellerberrin Central Wheatbelt Cup is just something else.

After a fall at Northam back in April 2021 where Garry Sayers was thrown from the cart and left unconscious, there were doubts whether Zyanya would survive the injuries she sustained when she was out of control on the track, let alone ever make it back to the race track but in January 2022 after many months of rehabilitation and work, she resumed and just one start later was back in the winners circle at her home track of Northam.

“The horse in front of us stumbled and we went over the top and were trampled by other horses, I ended up in hospital and haven’t driven since,

“She got up and was running around, and they got her to the fence, and she had the cart underneath and she had torn herself to pieces.

“I was in hospital unconscious, so they rang my brother in Kal and he said he thought I would definitely want to save her, so they sent her to Ascot Equine Vet and they said they could do arthroscopic surgery on her knee,

“she was in a pretty bad way, and it cost us a bit of money, but we thought we would save her for a broodmare or even just so she could run around the paddock, the poor buggar.”

“When they opened her up, they rang to see if we wanted to go ahead because she probably wouldn’t race again, but we said go ahead.”

Unable to walk properly for the next four months, Sayers spent plenty of time rehabilitating the troublesome mare back in Kalgoorlie, it got worse before it got better, with Zyanya developing a haematoma bigger than Sayers had ever seen before on her stifle, but after four months she resumed jog work, getting better and better, eventually getting back to the races 9 months after her ordeal.

Zyanya’s story starts at grass roots level, with her dam Jilliby Honey won in the Golden Mile raffle with a $100 ticket by Shane and Annette James.

A winner of 8 races herself, from 87 starts and almost $60,000 in stakes, Zyanya is the only foal from the mare (a triplet nonetheless), with Sayers making mention that she was a tiny foal.

“She was a very smart mare but used to pull too hard. Only had one speed, and that was flat out.”

Unimpressive as a youngster, she was sent to Byford her break in preparation, but was soon sent home for her troublesome behaviour, with Sayers continuing her education in Kalgoorlie, eventually heading to trials in August 2020, breaking through for her maiden win in October that same year at just her sixth start.

Zyanya has now won a total of seven races from 38 starts, with just shy of $44,000 in stakes for her owners, with six of those wins coming about after her almost career ending accident.

“Very proud of her but it’s a credit to the owners; Shane and Annette James, my brother Robert and my cousin Pat for basically sticking with her, they were good enough to say ‘listen let’s do the operation’ and that cost $6800, just to keep her in the paddock,

“So for them to save her was very kindhearted and thoughtful of them, towards the horse, to give her the chance and she’s obviously repaid us.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Ashleigh Paikos, for RWWA