Ridden by Walter Swinburn, Zilzal won his first race, a seven_furlong race at Leicester on 30 May 1989, by ten lengths from Mbulwa. At Royal Ascot, he won the Jersey Stakes by four lengths from Russian Royal, with Distant Relative, who went on to win the Sussex Stakes in 1990, a further length back in third place. He then started as the 1/4 favourite in the Criterion Stakes at Newmarket. Zilzal led throughout and beat Russian Bond by five lengths. Russian Bond was two lengths clear of Tay Wharf and Sure Gold, who finished last of the four runners. He then stepped up in class for the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. The previous season's winner, Warning, started as the 7/4 favourite, with Zilzal at 5/2, Markofdistinction at 3/1, and St. James's Palace Stakes winner Shaadi at 7/1. As the field entered the finishing straight, Zilzal was in third place of the eight runners. He took the lead from Opening Verse with over one furlong left to run and quickened to win by three lengths from 100/1 outsider Green Line Express, with Markofdistinction a further length and a half back in third place. At the end of September, he faced four rivals in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. His opponents in the one-mile race were the undefeated Prix Jacques Le Marois winner Polish Precedent, Distant Relative, Green Line Express, and Cottenham. The betting was dominated by the two unbeaten horses, with Zilzal sent off at evens and Polish Precedent at 11/8. Zilzal led throughout and beat Polish Precedent by three lengths, with Distant Relative a further two lengths back in third. In November Zilzal travelled to America for the Breeders' Cup Mile, where he faced ten opponents including Arlington Million winner Steinlen, Simply Majestic, and Sabona. Zilzal started as the even money favourite but finished sixth, about four and a half lengths behind winner Steinlen. He was then retired to stud.
At the end of the 1989 season, Zilzal was rated as the joint-best horse with Old Vic on 134, ahead of 2000 Guineas and Derby winner Nashwan. He was given the highest Timeform rating of the year on 137. He was also England's Horse of the Year and Champion Three-year-old.
Stud career
Zilzal first stood at Gainsborough Stud near Versailles in Kentucky. He was retired from stud duties in 2005 due to lack of demand. From his 16 crops, Zilzal sired 396 foals. 320 made it to the track, and 214 of them won 719 races among them. During his stud career, he was treated for infertility problems. However, he did meet with some success as a stallion, siring three Group 1 winners and several Group race winners. His most notable progeny were:
Later years
Champion miler Zilzal had to be put down, due to the infirmities of old age. He was 29. Due to fertility issues he moved to Lanwades Stud and stood ten seasons from 1996 to 2005 at Kirsten Rausing's Newmarket operation before being retired at the age of 19. Zilzal joined Aston Upthorpe in 2006 and spent the rest of his retirement at the stud near Didcot. Rausing said: "We had him here for quite a long time, for ten seasons. Before that he was at Gainsborough Stud but he had severe fertility problemsin America. I was asked to take him at Lanwades and he came here. He'd covered very small books in America and had got less than 50 per cent of mares in foal over there. "He covered 60 mares in his first year over here and I think he got most of them in foal. We found him fairly easy to work with, we never had any serious fertility issues with him. I felt such as his problems that they were, short sperm longevity, they could be overcome by careful management of the mares - so we never covered a mare more than once. "He was a very nice horse in every way, an absolutely picture perfect individual. A lovely horse to look at once you got to know him he was very nice to deal with. "We loved him here and he was looked after by Eoin O'Mahony, he looked after him from beginning to end for the ten seasons."
