Bobby Bennu

His two victories of note came at Chester in June 2024 and then at Lingfield Park in November of the same year, which means he hasn't actually won a race in roughly eighteen months. His last six runs read 15-5-blank-5-2-8 — a string of placed efforts and also-rans that suggest he's still competing at a decent level without finding the winning thread. The promising sign is that second-place finish, which hints he's not far off. The less promising sign is that it's now been six months since he even ran, returning from a meaningful break.

When he does head back out, he'll likely be partnered by Silvestre De Sousa, who knows the horse better than anyone — they've teamed up seven times and won twice together, a win rate of 29%, or just under 1 in 3. That's a genuinely strong record for a jockey-horse combination and suggests De Sousa brings something out of him.

Varian, who has sent out 87 winners this season alone from his powerful Newmarket operation, is measured but clearly enthusiastic about what comes next. He sees a natural programme of seven-furlong Class 2 races through the summer as the ideal route, with the possibility of stepping up to a mile around a bend if things go well. The horse is rated 97 — knocking on the door of the very top level — and Varian's point that he's still relatively lightly raced for a five-year-old is an interesting one. It means there may be more to come, rather than this being the full picture.