Byzantium

The trainer behind that improvement is Paul Nicholls, one of the most decorated names in British racing, based at Ditcheat in Somerset. His yard has sent out 92 winners already this season, so Byzantium is one piece of a very busy, very successful operation. Nicholls has spoken about how the horse has been a revelation since learning to settle — which is trainer-speak for a horse that used to burn through its energy too early and was essentially racing against itself. Once that problem was solved, results followed.

The Newton Abbot win in June came on fast, dry ground, which Byzantium clearly enjoys, but the day had a sting in the tail — the horse cut itself during the race and needed two months off to recover. That injury meant the yard spent the autumn playing catch-up with his fitness, and a run at Ascot just last Saturday was partly about shaking off the rustiness rather than chasing a big result. Nicholls has already flagged that a step up in distance is coming next, which hints that he sees more improvement ahead.

At the wheel for both wins has been Jay Tidball, who has ridden Byzantium in 5 of his 12 races and won 2 of them — a win rate of 40% together, which is a striking number and well above the horse's overall average. That kind of partnership tends to mean something: a jockey who knows a horse's quirks and moods is worth a great deal, especially with an animal that can be, in the trainer's own words, a bit too fresh and keen for his own good.

Byzantium has done most of his racing at Class 4 level — solid mid-tier competition — winning 1 from 7 in that grade, or roughly 1 in 7. Nothing spectacular yet, but with ground conditions in his favour and a longer trip on the horizon, the team clearly believes there is more to come.