Zeus Olympios

Trained by Karl Burke at his yard in Coverham, North Yorkshire, Zeus Olympios is part of a stable that has sent out 140 winners this season alone — a serious operation by any measure. But even within that level of production, this horse stands out. Burke has spoken about him with genuine excitement, describing a horse with a high cruising speed and a sharp change of gear at the end of a race — the two qualities you most want in a top-level miler. He also notes the horse has improved physically month by month, which at 4 years old suggests there may still be more to come.

His recent form reads 1-1-1-1-3-3 going back from his debut, meaning he won his first four races and has since finished third twice. The two third-place finishes — including a run at Sandown where Burke was satisfied despite the defeat, noting the horse was carrying extra weight and tired slightly late on — have cost him his unbeaten record but have not dimmed the enthusiasm around him. Burke was candid that Zeus Olympios was a few kilos heavier than ideal at Sandown and will come on for the run.

The next chapter looks genuinely exciting. The Lockinge at Newbury — one of the most prestigious mile races of the British flat season — is the stated primary target, with the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot also on the radar. Burke floated those destinations openly, suggesting the horse is considered ready for the very biggest occasions. Whether he steps up in distance beyond a mile is still an open question, but given what Zeus Olympios has shown so far, the people who know him best are in no hurry to second-guess what he might achieve.