Diamond Rain

Three of those four wins have come in Class 1 races — the biggest and most prestigious events on the calendar — and a fourth came at Class 2 level. That means every single win this horse has recorded has been against the best company around. It has never needed a soft touch or a quieter race to find the winner's enclosure. The first win came at Ascot in May 2024, and it has been building upwards ever since, adding Newbury, Haydock Park, and most recently Newcastle to its list of venues conquered. Winning at four different tracks suggests this is a horse that travels well and adapts, rather than one that just happens to suit a particular circuit.

The partnership with jockey William Buick is worth noting. Together they have raced six times and won four of them — that is a 67% win rate, or two wins in every three rides. Buick is one of the best jockeys in the world, but even he does not win two-thirds of his races as a rule. When he climbs aboard Diamond Rain, something clearly clicks.

Behind the horse is trainer Charlie Appleby, who operates out of Newmarket and has sent out 121 winners already this season. That is the output of a yard firing on all cylinders, and Diamond Rain is one of its flagship performers. Recent form reads 3-1-1-4-12, meaning three wins, two runner-up finishes, and just one poor run in the last six races. For a horse competing exclusively at the top level, that level of consistency is remarkable.

Diamond Rain raced just one day ago and remains in active training. At five years old, with a career that has already taken in some of Britain's finest occasions, there is every reason to think the best may not yet be behind this horse.