Perfect start for Zarkandar

Winning start for Zarkarva half-brother

Last updated: 26th February 2011   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Zarkander

Zarkandar makes the perfect start in the Adonis.

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Zarkandar (8-1) made the perfect start to life in the Nation Hunt game with a winning debut in thebettingsite.com Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton.

One of the best bred horses to ever go jumping, he is a half-brother to 2008 Arc de Triomphe winner Zarkava, who retired unbeaten.

Introduced to British racing in the race last year's Triumph Hurdle hero Soldatino used as a springboard, the winner showed a likeable attitude once hitting the front at the second-last.

Nicky Henderson's Molotof, himself a French recruit, threw down a challenge but Paul Nicholls' four-year-old pulled away to win by two and a quarter lengths.

He was given a 10-1 quote (from 33s) for the Triumph by Sky Bet.

"It was testing old ground and he took a while to pick up on it, but he's a very well-bred horse and I think he has a future," said winning jockey Daryl Jacob.

"He put his head down and really battled - I got there a bit soon but I didn't expect him to pick up like that on this ground.

"I was very happy with him throughout the race and Paul's horses are always very well schooled."

Triumph plan

Nicholls said: "He was very colty when we got him and he took a long time to get over being cut (gelded).

"I was very nervous about running him on this ground but he did everything impressively and he has a bit of class.

"I wanted to run him in a good race and after that he'll go to the Triumph. Daryl gave him a great ride.

"Going there (Cheltenham) on the back of just one run over hurdles is not ideal but he's been schooling three times a week so he'll jump plenty of hurdles."

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