Marbuzet

He is trained by Tim Easterby at Great Habton in North Yorkshire, a yard that has sent out 126 winners this season alone — one of the most productive operations in the north of England. Easterby has described Marbuzet as "a grand little staying horse" who has progressed well on fast, dry ground, and that assessment is backed up by the numbers. On firm or dry ground he wins 3 from 12 races — 1 in every 4 — and on slightly soft conditions the record is even better, 2 wins from just 6 races, meaning he has won a third of those. He is genuinely versatile underfoot, which makes him easier to place and harder to dismiss.

The distance is what really unlocks him. Over trips between a mile and six furlongs and two miles — the longer end of the spectrum — Marbuzet has won 7 from 27 races, roughly 1 in every 4. Every single win of his career has come at that range, which tells you the team knows exactly what they have: a proper stayer who needs time and ground to find his rhythm. He has spent most of his career competing at Class 6 level, the lower end of the graded structure, where he has won 5 from 18 races — better than 1 in every 4 — and that is a perfectly respectable niche for a horse of his type.

Jockey David Allan knows him better than anyone, riding him in 20 of his 42 races and picking up 3 of his 7 wins together. His most recent victory came at Chester in September 2025, and with Marbuzet having raced as recently as yesterday, he is clearly fit, active, and still being campaigned with purpose. Easterby has previously had one eye on the Chester Cup reserve race for him — Chester being a tight, turning track that suits a horse who travels well over longer trips. Given that he won there as recently as last autumn, that ambition looks anything but fanciful.