Why our old friend Zaaki is going to set the sales ring alight this autumn
Michael Crawford was once principally known for playing Frank Spencer, the hapless hero of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. Then he became Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera and people marvelled at the extraordinary transformation of a performer who had left his "Ooh, Betty!" years behind him.
Fast forward a few decades and we can marvel at the similarly impressive reinvention of Zaaki.
Remember him? He raced over four seasons in Britain, completing 21 starts and twice scoring at Group 3 level for Sir Michael Stoute. He was good but far from great, signing off from these shores 12 months ago when finishing last of seven in Sandown's Listed Fortune Stakes.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inComment
Last updated
Copy- We know that times are tight - but racecourses really do need to step up and improve outdated weighing rooms
- The budget has heaped even more trouble on racing - and I fear many trainers will now decide the numbers just don't add up
- Why I think Cheltenham Festival handicaps need to change - JP McManus writes exclusively for the Racing Post
- No-one has ever emerged from the womb wearing a trilby - racing's future survival hangs on pursuing a young audience
- Four score and ten just a number to Peter Harris as July Cup triumph shows there's more to the elderly than medical conditions
- We know that times are tight - but racecourses really do need to step up and improve outdated weighing rooms
- The budget has heaped even more trouble on racing - and I fear many trainers will now decide the numbers just don't add up
- Why I think Cheltenham Festival handicaps need to change - JP McManus writes exclusively for the Racing Post
- No-one has ever emerged from the womb wearing a trilby - racing's future survival hangs on pursuing a young audience
- Four score and ten just a number to Peter Harris as July Cup triumph shows there's more to the elderly than medical conditions