Zanndabad

The immediate form is mixed. In his last six races he has finished second, fourth, eighth, eighth, tenth, and first — the kind of inconsistency that defines mid-tier racehorses. He tends to run best at Class 2 level, where he has won 1 of his 8 races there. Daniel King, his most frequent jockey, has steered him to victory once from five rides together (a 20% win rate with that partnership), which is considerably better than his overall numbers.

Trained by A. J. Martin at Summerhill in County Meath, Zanndabad races for a stable that has been quietly productive this season, sending out 13 winners. He is currently active — last raced just a day ago — and at seven years old is still in the middle years of his racing life. Whether he can recapture the form that brought that Newcastle win and turn himself into a consistent Class 2 performer remains the question. For now, he is a horse that flashes ability occasionally but too often disappoints, the kind that keeps his the yard hopeful between runs and frustrated between placings.