Zacony Rebel

The 11-year-old, trained by Sarah-Jayne Davies out of Leominster in Herefordshire, has been around long enough to know what it likes. It first won a race back in October 2021 at Fontwell Park, and it has been quietly picking up wins ever since. Davies has had 5 winners from her yard this season, and Zacony Rebel is contributing to that tally in style — it won at Ludlow just this week, making it 2 wins from its last 6 races. That recent form reads 1-1-5-4-4-9, which means two wins sandwiched around some less impressive efforts, but at 11 years old, a horse that can still put in back-to-back victories is one that clearly hasn't read the script about slowing down.

Wet conditions suit it, too. On soft or muddy ground, Zacony Rebel has won 2 of its 6 races — a 33% win rate, or roughly 1 in every 3. For context, that is nearly double its overall rate. When the rain comes and the ground gets heavy, this is a horse that wakes up rather than wilts.

Most of its races have come at Class 4 level — solid, competitive races that are a long way from the showpiece events but represent a genuine test. At that level, it has won 3 from 16, which is about average, but its recent burst of form suggests it may be in the best shape it has been for a while. Jockey James Best has partnered it 11 times for just 1 win, but the horse tends to do the talking regardless of who is in the saddle. With a trip to Ludlow on its recent CV, and two wins in its last six, Zacony Rebel is not winding down — it is still very much in the game.