For much of the final mile of a thrilling Grade 3 Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on Friday it looked very much as though the Zarkandar bubble was going to be well and truly burst as the previously unbeaten young hurdler looked in big trouble in this ultra-competitive handicap on his belated seasonal return, writes Elliot Slater.
Sent off the 11/4 favourite against his 19 rivals in one of the most hotly contested handicap races of the whole season, most Cheltenham Festival betting pundits agreed that if he was to have any chance of mixing it with Hurricane Fly in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on March 13, last season’s Triumph Hurdle and Aintree Festival winner would have to win this event off a handicap rating of 151.
Settled in mid-division by Ruby Walsh, the half-brother to the outstanding unbeaten Flat sensation Zarkava travelled well enough until his rider began to niggle along approaching the turn for home. As a host of horses swept by him it looked as though the son of Azamour was almost certainly on his way to the first defeat of his career over hurdles – indeed he touched 100 ‘in-play’ on Betfair – but as Walsh threwh everything at him Zarkandar began to respond approaching the second last.
When Darlan fell at that flight whilst vying for the lead and badly hampered Get Me Out Of Here (who was immediately behind him), it looked as though Zarkandar might run into a best place at best, but as Sire De Grugy and Sailors Warn came back to the pack after the last the favourite produced a terrific change of gear between the rallying Get Me Out Of Here and the Ladbrokes Hurdle winner Raya Star, to get up in the last 50 yards to score in sensational fashion by a length-and-a-quarter. Those looking for horse racing tips will have been very impressed.
All roads now lead to the Champion Hurdle for Zarkandar who was promptly cut from 7/1 to 6/1 second favourite to de-throne the great 4/5 market leader, Hurricane Fly.