Castle Rock

Both wins came at Newmarket — the home track of trainer Charlie Appleby, whose yard has been in sensational form this season, sending out 122 winners. Appleby operates out of Godolphin's famous Moulton Paddocks stable, and Castle Rock looks every inch a horse that fits the operation's high standards. The second of those wins, in October 2025, came in a Class 2 race — one of the better races you'll find in Britain — which tells you this isn't a horse picking up easy wins in weak fields. Winning at that level as a two-year-old is a genuine statement.

What makes Castle Rock's profile a little more complicated is the gap since that last victory. It's now been roughly five months since the horse last set foot on a racecourse, and that kind of break at this stage of a young horse's career always raises a question: does it come back as sharp as it left? It might, of course — Appleby's team know how to prepare a horse — but a layoff of that length means there's something to prove on return, even if the raw form looks excellent. With only three races under its belt, Castle Rock is still largely an unknown quantity, and that's part of what makes the next run so interesting to watch.