Can Emma Lavelle qualify 'fun horse' Zoran for another tilt at the London Stayers' Series final?

Given he was third in the 2024 final of this series on his most recent start, you imagine the first aim for Zoran is to get qualified for the final in another 11 months' time.

Do not take that as a sign he might not be tuned up. Connections would be well aware this represents a softer target. For a start, it is a 0-85 compared with a £70,000 Class 2. It is in effect a 0-80, as topweight Robusto is rated 80 by the BHA. Zoran, a course-and-distance winner in June, is a deserved warm order.

Robusto is likely to be among the main dangers. He too won over course and distance in the summer. His form tailed off a little after that, but the break he has been given since September has surely been a conscious one ahead of an all-weather campaign.

There is only one other course winner in the field. The race over a mile and a half which Francesco Baracca won in August was a 0-65, so a much lower grade even than this race. Yet he ran with credit to finish fifth in the final last month. He is 9lb better off with Zoran today, having been beaten four lengths by him last time.

He is the only four-year-old in the line-up but is not as unexposed as Jack McNamara. That horse will make his handicap debut here on his second run for Simon Pearce. He is bred to stay pretty well as his half-brother was a fairly useful middle-distance sort. 

He also took to the all-weather when second here last month. He has room to improve and, although he will need to from his opening mark, it would not be by a huge amount to win this race.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

What they say

Emma Lavelle, trainer of Zoran
He’s a great fun horse for the owners as if it’s too soft for him over hurdles we can run him on the Flat, and he ran a belter to be third in the final of this series around Kempton last time. He’s in good form and hopefully we can get him qualified to have another crack at it.

Simon Pearce, trainer of Jack McNamara
He’s in a handicap for the first time and he ran a bit free at Wolverhampton last time when he was out in front. Hopefully, he can drop his head and drop in this time and come home to good effect.

Cieren Fallon, rider of Haaland
He was a bit unlucky last time but so were a few others who sat off quite a strong pace that day. The pace collapsed and we came home strongly, but we may not get such a strong pace this time.

Gary Moore, joint-trainer of Poncho
He’s won around Lingfield but whether Kempton suits him or not is another matter. He’s fit from the jumps, so it’s worth a try.
Reporting by David Milnes

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