Celeborn

His first win came at Leicester in June 2024, but it is his most recent victory that really tells the story. Celeborn won at Epsom Downs in April 2025 — a track with a notorious downhill camber that sorts horses out ruthlessly — suggesting there is a physical confidence about him that sets him apart from his peers. George Boughey, who trains him out of Newmarket and has sent out an eye-catching 99 winners already this season, clearly spotted something worth nurturing. After Celeborn missed a chunk of last season, Boughey gave him time rather than rushing him back, and by his own assessment the horse has developed enormously from three to four. That patience looks like it is paying off.

The jockey who knows him best is Billy Loughnane, who has ridden him in 5 of his 6 races and won 2 of them — a win rate of 40%, which is seriously good. When one jockey sticks with a horse at that kind of level, it usually means something: they understand each other, and the trainer trusts that partnership. The most recent form figure, a fifth last time out after back-to-back wins, is worth keeping an eye on but does not derail what has otherwise been a smooth progression.

What makes Celeborn genuinely exciting is where Boughey thinks he might be heading. The trainer has flagged the Suffolk Stakes at Newmarket and the Royal Hunt Cup — the latter a famous, fiercely competitive race at Royal Ascot that draws a huge field and enormous public attention. That is a significant step up in class from the Class 4 races Celeborn has mostly contested, but Boughey clearly believes the horse is capable of mixing it with better company. For a horse whose career earnings are only just beginning to build, a run at Ascot would be a proper statement of intent.