Brian

His first career win came at Newbury in July 2024, and he followed it up just six weeks later with a Class 2 victory at Newmarket's July course. Class 2 sits among the better races in Britain, so winning at that level is a genuine mark of ability. In sprint distances — anywhere from five to six and a half furlongs — he has won 2 of his 11 races (18%), which suggests he's at his sharpest when the race is quick and direct rather than drawn out.

The complication is what has happened since. Brian hasn't won in his last six races, and that Newmarket victory is now 21 months in the rearview mirror. His most recent form figures — 7, 8, 10, 7, 9, 2 — show a horse finishing deep in the field more often than not, though that second-place finish is a flicker of something. He's been competing almost exclusively at Class 1, the very best races in the sport, and has drawn a blank in all seven attempts at that level. That's not necessarily a failure — it means he's been aimed high — but it does suggest the gap between what Brian has shown he can do and what's currently being asked of him is a real one.

Jockey Liam Keniry has been the man in the saddle for both wins, riding Brian 8 times in total and winning 2 of them — that's 1 in every 4 rides together, a noticeably better return than Brian's overall record. J S Moore's yard has been in decent form this season, sending out 17 winners, and Brian raced just yesterday, so he remains very much an active proposition. Whether he can rediscover the sharpness that made him a Class 2 winner at Newmarket remains the open question.