Zegalo makes his eagerly awaited handicap debut in the 4.30 at Doncaster today and looks worth a punt at 9/2 to make it a winning one.
Trained by Roger Varian, who has his team in good shape, this colt shaped really well on juvenile debut at Ascot when getting outpaced two from home before staying on strongly inside the final furlong to take third and be beaten just 1 1/4 lengths by Cherokee Trail.
The winner went on to follow-up at Newbury and is now rated 93, whilst the fifth home Ropey Guest – who finished just over two lengths behind in fifth – subsequently finished sixth of 17 to Arizona in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and be placed in four Group 3 contest to now be rated 101.
Zegalo then failed to justify odds of 8/11 when a 2 1/2 length runner-up to the now 92-rated Dontaskmegain at Beverley before rounding off the campaign with a comfortable 1 3/4 length success in a 1m maiden at Nottingham.
The assessor has allotted Zegalo and opening mark of just 80 on the back of those efforts, and judged on his runs at Ascot and Beverley that looks very lenient in my eyes.
I put him up as one of my horses to follow this season as a result and his proven form with cut in the ground is a plus here.
The step up in trip also promsises to suit and Zegalo appeals as the type to go on progeessing.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 2pts win Zegalo (9/2 bet365 – BOG)