Mark Delbridge believes new kid on the staying block Zoha Bale is capable of breaking The Meadows’ 730m track record in Saturday night’s $136,750 Group 1 National Distance Championship Final.

Zoha Bale (box 3) is Sportsbet’s $1.75 favourite to continue his meteoric rise to staying stardom by claiming a seventh straight win in the $85,000 to-the-winner Distance Championship (race 6, 8.16pm).

A litter brother to Delbridge and wife Lisa’s 2022 Melbourne Cup hero Yachi Bale, Zoha Bale, a son of The Meadows 525m record holder Allen Deed, has gone to another level since stepping beyond 600m.

He’s unbeaten in three ‘700’ assignments, clocking a scorching 41.40sec at his Sandown 715m debut, before winning the one-off Victorian Distance Championship in 42.34sec, storming home from near-last in a runaway victory over G1 winner Moraine Suzie.

“If they leave him alone he could even break the track record.”

“Before last year’s Sale Cup I said if there’s a dog in the litter that was going to run ‘700’ it was Zoha Bale,” Delbridge said.

“Even when Yachi Bale was coming home over ‘500’, Zoha Bale was stronger in the run home.

“He’s probably going a bit better than I expected, but I was a little bit disappointed in his last win at Sandown when he ran 41.61sec. I thought he might’ve gone a bit quicker.”

Remarkably, Zoha Bale is one of three Vics drawn in box three that are short-priced favourites in Saturday’s National Grand Finals, along with Postman Pat (Sprint) and Unleash Collinda (Straight Track).

Zoha Bale is the only local in the National Distance decider, with Delbridge identifying bad luck and NSW duo Palawa King (box 5 – $3.40) and Zipping Vanessa (box 7 – $8.50) – in that order – as his main concerns.

WATCH: Boom stayer ZOHA BALE (B2) was a barnstorming 42.34sec winner of the Victorian National Distance Final (730m) at The Meadows at just his second 700m attempt.

“He’s only had three runs over ‘700’ and every time he’s been checked at the first corner,” Delbridge said.

“I’m hoping he doesn’t get checked like he usually does. If they leave him alone he could even break the track record (Space Star – 41.93sec).

“He’s shown he can come from that far back, but if he gets into trouble it depends what Palawa King and Zipping Vanessa and maybe the Queensland dog (Days Of Thunder – box 2) do.

“You can never be too confident, but on what he’s been doing he shouldn’t get beaten. But things happen in racing!”

CLICK HERE FOR SPORTSBET’S NATIONAL DISTANCE MARKET

Zoha Bale is Delbridge’s second National finalist, and he’ll be hoping to go one better than his previous runner, Tomac Bale, runner-up to Xylia Allen in the 2013 Sprint Grand Final, which was also held at The Meadows.

“Tomac Bale led everywhere but the line,” he recalled ruefully.

Zoha Bale continues ‘Team Delbridge’s’ uncanny affinity with middle distance and staying chasers in recent years, including triple G1 winner Jarick Bale, G1 Sandown Cup victor Zipping Rambo and Christo Bale.

Delbridge won two heats of the 595m Speed Star series at Sandown on Wednesday with Zoha Bale’s littermates Valor Bale and Ailee Bale, which finished second and third behind overall winner Hector Fawley.

“If the Speed Star had been on last week instead of this week, Zoha Bale would’ve been in it for sure and he could have broken the (715m) Sandown record,” Delbridge offered.

“He’ll be back at The Meadows next weekend for the (G3) Top Cat Video Cup heats and then he might go up to NSW for the (G2) Sydney Cup.

“Jarick Bale will turn five in April, but I’m trying to keep him going for the Sale Cup and have a go at three in a row.”