'Absolute star' and quality racemare Zambella retired after eight Listed wins

High-class chasing mare Zambella has run her last race and become the latest of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede's stars to be retired.

The announcement came three days after time was called on the career of the owners' smart Sceau Royal.

Zambella was bought from France for €100,000 as a four-year-old in 2019 and joined Nigel Twiston-Davies. She won eight Listed mares' chases since November 2020, landing two wins each in the Houghton Mares' Chase at Aintree and the Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares' Chase at Doncaster.

She was pulled up when trying to complete a hat-trick in the Doncaster race last week and has been retired.

Announcing the news, the owners' racing manager Anthony Bromley said: "She ran a bit flat at Doncaster last week. She's fine after the race and it may have come a bit quick for her after Aintree, but we feel she's done her bit.

"She's done us proud. She's won eight Listed mares' chases and been an absolute star. This was the moment to pull stumps and we're now reviewing the situation and deciding the next step, whether we cover her or put her in a sale."

Zambella, a three-time winner in France in her younger days, finished fourth in the Grade 2 Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 and 2023 and earned £289,000 through her career.

The owners' Sceau Royal was retired on Saturday, having won the Henry VIII Novices' Chase, Thunder Novices' Chase and three runnings of the Elite Hurdle.

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