Royal Zabeel

And the top end is precisely where Royal Zabeel operates. Two of his six career wins have come in Class 1 races — the very best races in Britain — and two more in Class 2. His most recent victories include a Class 1 at Southwell in November 2025 and a Class 2 at Newmarket's July course in August 2025. Newmarket is one of the sport's most prestigious venues; winning there on fast, dry ground told Michael Appleby's yard something important. After that race, a syndicate member noted that Royal Zabeel had clearly appreciated the quicker surface compared to a disappointing run at Haydock, and that comment cuts to the heart of what this horse needs. On normal ground conditions, he has won 4 of just 6 races — a remarkable 67% — which means knowing what he wants is half the battle.

He is also beginning to look like a course specialist at Southwell, having won 2 of his 3 races there. That kind of dominance at a specific track tends to be no accident; some horses simply suit the shape of a course or the nature of the surface, and Royal Zabeel seems to have found a second home there.

The partnership with jockey Alistair Rawlinson deserves a mention. Together they have won 3 of their 7 races — 43%, or nearly one in every two times they line up together. That is an extraordinary ratio. An owner's representative put it simply after a Wolverhampton win: Rawlinson rode a cool, patient race and delivered Royal Zabeel at exactly the right moment. That trust between horse and rider is the kind of thing that wins top-level races.

Trained by Michael Appleby out of Oakham in Rutland, Royal Zabeel is part of a yard that has sent out 79 winners this season alone — a seriously productive operation. He raced just one day ago and is clearly in the thick of things. With a recent form line reading 5-4-1-7-8-1, the sharp end of his recent running — two wins bookending a couple of modest efforts — suggests a horse who arrives fit, fresh, and with more still to offer.