Eben Zaabeel

Trained by A.J. Martin at Summerhill in Co. Meath, a yard that has sent out 13 winners already this season, Eben Zaabeel is usually partnered by Jim Crowley, though their seven races together have yet to produce a win. Most of his racing has come at Class 4 level — solid, competitive mid-tier races — where he's run five times without success. His most recent run was just yesterday, so he's right in the thick of things.

His recent form tells an interesting story. Cast your eye back across his last six races and you'll see a second-place finish sitting at the end — that encouragement from Yarmouth that his trainer mentioned — followed by a run where he didn't complete the course, then three disappointing finishes in the teens, before a third place most recently. That's a horse whose form has been patchy but who clearly has some ability buried in there.

A.J. Martin has spoken warmly about him, describing him as a "grand, galloping type" who might have even more to offer over a mile and a half. Crucially, the trainer feels Eben Zaabeel comes from a strong family background and that racing experience is still shaping him into what he might become. There's a sense from the yard that this is a horse still finding himself rather than one who has reached his ceiling. Whether that patience pays off remains to be seen — but with an active campaign underway, the next chapter isn't far away.