Zaraahmando

Trained and ridden by Andrew Slattery out of Thurles in County Tipperary, this is a horse that has a genuine partnership with its handler in the saddle. When Slattery rides Zaraahmando himself, the results sharpen noticeably — 2 wins from their 8 races together works out at 1 in every 4, which is a meaningful step up from the horse's overall record. That kind of stat suggests Slattery knows exactly what this horse needs and how to get it out of them. The yard is clearly in fine form too, having sent out 60 winners already this season, so Zaraahmando is operating within a confident, busy operation.

The ground matters here. On normal conditions, Zaraahmando has won 2 of its 6 races — 1 in every 3 — which is a sharp ratio and tells you this is a horse that really hits its stride when the surface is playing fair. It opened its account at Limerick in June 2025, then followed up at Cork in September, which suggests it travels well and is not dependent on one particular track. The most recent win was 8 months ago, and the recent form — a 13th, 4th, 5th, 1st, 3rd, and 6th reading from newest to oldest — shows a horse that has been a little inconsistent of late, with that run of 13th just a day ago flagging as the kind of result the yard will want to move past quickly.

Still only 4, Zaraahmando has time on its side. The combination of a shrewd trainer who clearly understands this horse, a preference for normal ground, and the backing of a yard firing on all cylinders this season means the next win could come sooner than that recent form might suggest.