Derby Day was Mark Zahra’s day. The big stage jockey delivered on the greatest stage of all – Flemington when it counts.
Zahra later told Betsy that when you have a day like he did, you see everything slower, and with confidence.
”I think my first ride ran third but I felt good, you just probably see everything a bit in slow motion,” he told Betsy.
”Things tend to work out, you’ve got confidence and as the day goes on, you just really trust and feel very relaxed with a few wins on the board, it’s a feeling that is hard to describe.”
It may have been an experience that was hard for Zahra to describe as he left the track, but it’ll be a day he’ll remember forever.
Winning four races in a row, on Derby Day.
And that includes two Group 1s – the Coolmore Stud Stakes and the time-honoured Victoria Derby.
The other two he won before weren’t bad either – two Group 2s – The Wakeful and the Damien Oliver.
Zahra isn’t your typical jockey. He recently told Betsy that he needs to get away from the sport to get his mind and body right.
He knew he came into the day with a strong book of rides, but was sick of people telling him as much.
”I mean everyone said, you’re going to have such a good day, you’ve got so many chances and I was like, just shut up,” he said.
”I thought one or two might work out but four in a row that all worked out perfectly, especially the group ones, yeah it’s an unbelievable day.”
Zahra said delivering for the Freedman stable with Tentyris was the most rewarding of his victories considering his history with the stable – not to mention being tempted by other Coolmore runners.
”He is a horse in a stable that I had a lot to do with and I had a few horses to pick from the Coolmore early days, but [I] picked him out, and stuck with the Freedman’s, and he’s just improved, improved, and today was our day for him, and for it all to work out and to win is very rewarding,” he said.
Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie Lovett reckon’s he is the best middle-distance and staying jockey in Australia.
On the back of winning another Derby, Ciaron Maher agreed.
“Oh, 100% he is,” he told Betsy.
“He’s just got the ability to get them to relax. That horse is a little bit keen, and he’s just got this amazing core strength, and he’s able to not sit against the horse.”
“He uses his body, and he’s just got, you’d call that ability, I think. Yeah, he manages himself very well now, and really targets, really zones in and you can see the results. Well done to him.”
From start to finish, simply brilliant 💫
OBSERVER takes out the 2025 Howden Victoria Derby.
🎥 @wwos | #DerbyDay | #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/G2MeXukpce
— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 1, 2025
Maher said that Zahra’s ability to leave the racing bubble during the off months when the group racing stops is crucial to Zahra’s big race performances.
“He locks in. So rather than just trudging away, rather than just going all year, he has a break, he manages himself, his weight, he has to work quite hard because he’s a bigger fella,” he said.
“So he has his time off, and then locks in, zones in, knowing that he’s going to get a reward at the end. So fair play to him.”
Zahra’s winning day kicked off on short-priced star filly Getta Good Feeling for prominent owner Jonathan Munz.
He rode Warnie to win the Damien Oliver.
It was in the Coolmoore Stud Stakes punters saw some animation from Zahra – finishing with a fist pump as Tentyris lived up to the late money.
Zahra’s Instagram, following big wins, is often littered with grand restaurants and expensive bottles of champagne.
Zahra’s only real concern is that he has to ride in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday on the highly rated Al Riffa.
Considering the St Irish Leger winner is weighted at 59kg, the smart money would be on Zahra enjoying the odd flute of champagne tonight.
”My wife is telling me how big a night we’re going to have and I’m telling her no.” he laughed.
”So we’ll go for a nice quiet dinner, nice bottle of champagne and we’ll save all the celebrating into the week.
It looks like we’ll need our wellies on and the rowboat [for the Melbourne Cup] all the Santa things. But it’s good going into Tuesday very happy.
