Zabeel Prince

Zabeel Prince ran a cracker to finish second to Mustashry in the Group 2 Joel Stakes on his first run since May on ground that was probably faster than ideal. Sent to the front from early by Silvestre de Sousa, he picked up well when he was challenged by Mustashry and, while he couldn’t repel the winner’s challenge, he ran on all the way to the line to go down by just a half a length, finishing four and a half lengths clear of the third horse, the talented Regal Reality. He was receiving 3lb from the winner, but it was still a fine run, the winner is good, he came into the race on a high, and the winning time was good.

Zabeel Prince is five, but this was just his eighth run, so he still has the potential to progress. Roger Varian’s horse does go well fresh, so it is not a given that he will improve for this run, his first since he disappointed in the Lockinge Stakes in May, and he was strong in the market, but he could still build on this, and he should do better if he runs again between now and the end of the season on easier ground. He won in September and in October last year and, winner of the Listed Doncaster Mile in March on soft ground, he will be of particular interest if he runs at one of the two remaining meetings at Doncaster this flat season.

Newmarket, 28^th September 2018