Zanndabad

The overall numbers — 2 wins and 7 places from 20 races, a win rate of roughly 1 in every 10 — would look modest on paper. But context matters enormously here. Those two wins came back-to-back across just six weeks, and the Newcastle success was a Class 2 race, meaning Zanndabad beat some seriously good horses on a big occasion. For a horse of this profile to step up and win at that level is genuinely eye-catching, the kind of result that suggests the penny has dropped and there could be more to come.

The recent form tells a story of two halves. The last six runs read 1-1-9-4-2-11 — so back-to-back wins followed by a scrambled run of results, including a ninth and an eleventh. Racing at Class 2 level — the races Zanndabad knows best — has produced 1 win from 8 attempts, a rate of roughly 1 in every 8, which is respectable at that standard. The yard behind this horse has sent out 14 winners this season, so A J Martin's team is in good form and clearly knows how to place a horse for success.

What makes this next appearance interesting is the gap. Zanndabad has not raced for around four months, which is a significant break by any measure. A horse returning from that long a rest can go one of two ways — it either comes back sharper and ready, or needs a run to shake off the cobwebs. The trainer will know which camp Zanndabad falls into, and with two wins already this season from just six runs, there is every reason to believe the horse returns with confidence rather than questions still to answer.