Zanahiyr

The most striking detail in Zanahiyr's record is what happens when it steps up against the very best. In six attempts at the top level of racing — Class 1, the kind of events that draw the biggest names and the biggest crowds — it has come away without a single win. Zero from six. That is not a disgrace; plenty of horses never get near those races at all. But it does suggest a horse that is genuinely competitive at a high level without quite having the final gear to beat the very best when it matters most.

Where Zanahiyr has found real success is at a slightly lower tier, and the recent form makes for interesting reading. Two wins from its last six races is a return that many yards would be happy with, and the sequence of results — a win, a runner-up, another win, a fourth, a seventh, and one race not completed — shows a horse that blows hot and cold but is clearly still firing. The most recent victory came at Bellewstown in August 2025, which at the time of writing is eight months ago, so the yard will be hoping that kind of form is still in there.

The partnership with jockey Jack Kennedy is worth noting. In 16 races together, Kennedy has ridden Zanahiyr to 4 wins — a win rate of 25%, or roughly 1 in every 4 rides. That is meaningfully better than the horse's overall record, suggesting the pair have developed a genuine understanding. Kennedy clearly gets the best out of this horse.

Behind the scenes, Zanahiyr is trained by Gordon Elliott at his yard in Longwood, County Meath — one of the powerhouse operations in Irish racing. Elliott's yard has sent out 209 winners already this season, so this horse is one piece of a very large machine. But with the horse having raced just yesterday and still clearly in training, the story is not finished yet.