Almaty Star

Trained by Robert Cowell at Newmarket, one of British racing's most famous training centres, Almaty Star sits in a yard that has sent out 24 winners already this season — a productive operation by any measure. Its most regular jockey is Jack Mitchell, who has partnered the horse 12 times and won twice together, a win rate of 17%, or roughly 1 in every 6 rides. That's notably better than Almaty Star's overall record, which suggests the pairing brings something out in the horse.

The ground makes a real difference here. On normal conditions, Almaty Star has won 2 of 8 races — that's 25%, or 1 in every 4, which is a dramatic improvement on its overall average. In other words, when the ground suits, this is a much more dangerous horse than its overall numbers suggest. Trainers and punters who pay attention to these details will already have this one noted.

Most of Almaty Star's races have come at Class 3 level — competitive, middle-tier races that sit a couple of rungs below the very top contests in Britain. At that level it has won just 1 from 18, which is a tough ask, and explains why the overall win rate stays modest despite the horse's clear ability. Its first win came at Lingfield Park back in September 2023, and most recently it won at Great Yarmouth in April 2026 — three months ago, proving it can still find the winning post.

The recent form tells an interesting story too. Reading the last six runs from most recent backwards — 3rd, 8th, 18th, 1st, 2nd, 2nd — there's a dip in the middle but the horse raced just one day ago, so it is very much active and in the mix. The 18th-place finish looks like an off day sandwiched between better efforts. With a yard in form and a preferred jockey who clearly gets results, Almaty Star remains worth following whenever the conditions are right.