Zonda was a potential champion hindered by multiple injuries throughout his career

Zonda, foaled 5 December 1994 is a retired New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse who won the New Zealand Derby in 1997. His career faced unfortunate setbacks from injury which hindered greatness. Despite this, many consider him one of New Zealand's top horses of the 1990s.The son of Zabeel took three races to clear maidens, but followed that Paeroa win with four more wins in a row, including the Avondale Guineas, the Gr.1 NZ Derby by five lengths and a victory in the Gr.2 Alister Clark Stakes at Moonee Valley in Melbourne. Trainer, Roger James described the colt as a freakish horse that can do freakish things at times, however a constant succession of niggling injuries hampered the flow of his career. Zonda then went from a frail three-year-old to a lump of a horse as big feeder that took plenty of work to achieve full fitness.

Sired by the great Zabeel from the mare, Gone With The Wind, he followed that Valley win up with a third-placing at Caulfield and second in the 1998 Gr.1 Australian Guineas behind Gold Guru, who upset Might and Power at his next start in the Ranvet. There was a lot of talk about Zonda before the feature, and it finished up being a two-horse race, right from the top of the straight to home. They made their runs together and Gold Guru just refused to lie down. He then finished a fair fifth in the Rosehill Guineas behind the champion, Tie The Knot and fellow Kiwi, Tycoon Lil. However, it became clear that he had suffered an injury in that race, and he wasn't seen again on the track for two and a half years.

Zonda returned to his very best to win the Gr.3 King's Plate (1600m) and the Gr.1 Oaks Stud Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie Racecourse in successive starts. However, he suffered yet another injury not long afterwards and was off the scene for another year, Zonda was only seen on the track on two more occasions in his career.
Zonda's career was so injury-plagued that he was very rarely seen at his best on the track after his Derby victory. His trainer Roger James has described him as both the best horse he's trained and the most frustrating.

But it is his Derby win that sticks in the memory. It was clear before the field had even turned for home in the race what the result would be. After effortlessly cruising to the lead he produced a stunning burst of acceleration and left his rivals in his wake, with the final margin at the line being four and three-quarter lengths, a margin that no Derby winner has gone close to matching since.

RACE RECORD  - 16:7-2-4
EARNINGS - $1,043,120

New Zealand Derby (1997)
Alister Clark Stakes (1998)
King's Plate (2000)
Zabeel Classic (2001)