Majestic

The Newmarket win in September 2022 is the centrepiece of Majestic's story. The owner and breeder Nick Hitchins noted at the time that the horse had luck in running — meaning things broke right on the day — but also made the point that Majestic had only been in training for four months when it won that race. To go from unraced to winning a top-tier race at Newmarket inside a single season, at a distance of around a mile and a quarter, is the sort of trajectory that makes you sit up. It also explains why the yard kept persisting: you don't forget a day like that.

The trouble is, it was 44 months ago. Since that September afternoon at Newmarket, Majestic has not won a single race. His recent form reads 4-7-19-8-12-3 — that 19th place finish is a rough afternoon by anyone's measure. The Cambridgeshire at Newmarket, which Majestic won back in 2022 and finished fourth in last year, produced a 12th-place finish most recently, suggesting the spark that lit up that debut campaign has become harder to find.

Trainer Jack Channon, whose yard at West Ilsley has sent out 46 winners this season, has kept options open for Majestic heading into the winter. If the ground stays wet and muddy, the plan may shift to the all-weather rather than turf — a surface that sometimes gives older horses a new lease of life. Regular jockey George Bass has yet to find the winner's enclosure together with Majestic in eight attempts, though that reflects the horse's overall picture more than any single failing.

Majestic raced just yesterday, so there is clearly still a race to be run. Whether there is another Newmarket moment in him is the question.