Zanndabad
Zanndabad stayed on well to take second place behind the impressive winner Matin Midi Et Soir in the beginners' chase at Down Royal on Friday.
Settled back in the field early on, he moved up on the inside into fourth place on the run to the second last fence, but a peck on landing over that obstacle halted his momentum. He wouldn't have troubled the impressive winner anyway, but he did well to keep on as well as he did for Conor Stone-Walsh to just get the better of Port Authority for the runner-up spot.
This was a nice performance by Tony Martin's horse on his chasing bow. He is seven now, and he has had plenty of racing on the flat and over hurdles, but he is talented, he had a peak rating of 95 on the flat, and he is an interesting recruit to fences. He stays two miles and six furlongs well over hurdles, so he will be of interest when he goes beyond this intermediate trip over fences. He is at his best when he can be held up off a fast pace, and there could be a fair bit more to come from him now over fences.
Down Royal, 30th October 2026
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