First Conquest

The most obvious place to start is Newmarket, where First Conquest has done its best work. Both of its British wins came there, and they were not modest affairs — both were Class 2 races, meaning among the better races in the calendar outside the very top tier. The first came on 18 April 2024, the second on 13 July the same year, with the July race carrying the added prestige of being part of Newmarket's famous summer meeting. Two wins at the same track, at a decent level, in the space of three months is the kind of consistency that makes a horse easy to follow.

Then there is Meydan, the Dubai track, where First Conquest has also shown a real affinity — 2 wins from 4 races there. That is a record worth taking seriously. Some horses simply travel well and take to different conditions and surfaces; this one appears to be one of them. The most recent of those Meydan wins came on 31 January 2025, about 14 months ago now.

The partnership with jockey William Buick adds another compelling strand. In five races together, the two have won three times — that is 3 wins from 5 rides, or 60%, which is an extraordinary ratio. Buick is one of the best jockeys in Britain and works closely with trainer Charlie Appleby, whose Newmarket yard has been in exceptional form this season, sending out 122 winners. When a trainer of that calibre keeps turning to the same jockey for the same horse, it tells you something about how much confidence they have in it.

The one unresolved question is how it handles the very top level. In three Class 1 races — the elite of the sport — First Conquest has not yet won. That does not mean it cannot; it simply has not yet. It returns now after roughly three months off, and its recent form figures, reading 1-3-3-4-3-3 from the most recent back, suggest a horse that runs into a place nearly every time it tries. Whether it can convert at the very highest level remains the interesting question.