Zabeel Palace

Zabeel Palace was a really impressive winner of the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ handicap hurdle that opened proceedings at Ascot on Saturday. Settled at the back of the field in the early stages by Timmy Murphy and wanting to go a bit faster than his rider wanted him to, his jumping warmed up as the race progressed and the pace increased. Moved to the inside but still second last of the nine runners turning for home, he got trapped in a pocket on the home turn as Dar Es Salaam went for home and had about eight lengths on him, but Barney Curley’s horse moved sweetly up in behind the leaders under a motionless Murphy. He jumped the second last well and moved out in among the three leaders, got a lovely split between Karasakal and Dar Es Salaam, moved through it quickly and eased to the front to land the spoils very cosily in the end. He came out a week later and finished second to Harry Tricker at Sandown off a 13lb higher mark, the pair of them clear of Akram in third, who had won at Kempton five days previously. He remains on the upgrade, and he should be worth following wherever he goes next.

31st October 2009