Zurella's connections are tossing up between the Australian Oaks and the New Zealand Derby after she bounced back to form in the Sir Tristram Classic at Te Rapa.Zurella disappointed when fifth on a wet track in the Royal Stakes at Ellerslie on January 1 but returned to her best in the Group Two 2000m contest in the hands of James McDonald on Saturday, edging out Capital Diamond and Quintessential.Rick Williams, who manages Zurella for her Queensland owner-breeder Dick Karreman, says the team wil

Zurella's connections are tossing up between the Australian Oaks and the New Zealand Derby after she bounced back to form in the Sir Tristram Classic at Te Rapa.

Zurella disappointed when fifth on a wet track in the Royal Stakes at Ellerslie on January 1 but returned to her best in the Group Two 2000m contest in the hands of James McDonald on Saturday, edging out Capital Diamond and Quintessential.

Rick Williams, who manages Zurella for her Queensland owner-breeder Dick Karreman, says the team will wait a week before deciding on the Derby at home on March 3 or the Oaks in Sydney on April 21.

"We've kept all our options open, she's still in the Derby but we have pencilled her in to go to Sydney," Williams said.

"I think a trip away would do the world of good for this filly."

The New Zealand Oaks on March 17 is also being considered as she could be better suited on the left-handed Trentham track, though the final determining factor could be weather conditions.

"I'll have another talk to James. He seems convinced that left-handed is her go. We'll just have a look at the weather patterns I think."

Zurella has proved difficult to prepare and trainer Shaune Ritchie said it was possibly a hormonal issue.

He did some work which was "designed to try and stop her from coming in and out of season, if that is in fact the problem", he said.

"Probably the wet track tripped her up at Ellerslie, and that might have been 90 per cent of the problem, but at least as a trainer, if there's something you can see you can work on, well we can attack it, especially with a filly this good."