Astro King

The two moments that define Astro King's career came in late summer 2023. First, he won at York in August — his first career win — and then, just five weeks later, he landed one of the most famous betting races in the calendar, the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket. Both were Class 2 races, which places them right at the top end of British racing. For a horse that, as Daniel Kubler put it, they "didn't pay a fortune for", those victories were exactly the kind of days owners and trainers dream about. Out of 16 races in total, Astro King has won just 2 — roughly 1 in every 8 — but those 2 wins came at exactly the right moments.

Since then, however, the wins have dried up. He has not won in his last six races, and he last raced 634 days ago — that is nearly 21 months off the track, a significant absence by any measure. During that time, he ran in valuable international races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, without winning, and his most recent British appearance ended in a second place at Newmarket — a result that, according to Kubler, showed the horse still belongs at this level. The plan now, the trainer has said, is a tilt at the Wolferton at Royal Ascot, one of the most prestigious meetings in the sport.

One thing is clear: Astro King is a horse that comes alive on fast, dry ground, winning 2 from 7 races in those conditions (29%), and he is at his best over distances of a mile and three to a mile and four furlongs. Jockey Richard Kingscote has ridden him seven times and won once, a partnership that has produced consistency if not fireworks. Whether Astro King can recapture the form of that golden five weeks in 2023 after such a long break is the real question — but a horse who put two Class 2 wins together at York and Newmarket has every right to be pointed at Royal Ascot.