Zamond

The real story about Zamond is his connection to Cartmel, a smaller track in the Lake District where he has become something of a specialist. He has won twice there from eight races — a 25 percent win rate at one track, which is the kind of thing a trainer notices and exploits. His most recent win came there six weeks ago, on 20 July 2026, so he has been racing consistently since. That Cartmel success sets him apart from his overall numbers, suggesting he either loves the tight, undulating course or has had the luck to meet the right sort of opposition there. On normal ground conditions, wherever he races, he wins roughly 1 in every 5 races, which is double his overall rate — another detail that tells Donald McCain's team exactly how to set him up.

With jockey Brian Hughes, Zamond has won three times from 16 races, a 19 percent win rate, noticeably better than his baseline. That is the kind of partnership worth nurturing. McCain's Cholmondeley yard, which has already sent out 55 winners this season, knows how to place a horse to its strengths, and with Zamond they have clearly found a formula that works — not often enough to make him a star, but reliably enough to keep him paying his way.