El Burhan

What's most interesting is his record with Jim Crowley. The jockey has ridden him 6 times and won 3 of those races — a 50% win rate together. That kind of partnership matters, and it suggests there's genuine understanding between rider and horse. His trainer George Boughey, based at Newmarket and a handler who has sent out 99 winners this season alone, clearly believes in him. After Ayr, Boughey noted that the horse had taken time to settle after a disappointing run at Ascot, but that the trip had suited him and the ground had been key. Crowley, for his part, observed that El Burhan is a big horse and they have not yet found the bottom of what he can do — a telling comment from a rider who senses there is more to come.

That said, his recent form has been patchy. In his last six races, he has managed only one win, placed twice, and failed to trouble the frame three times. He raced just 1 day ago, so he remains active in the yard's plans. The gap between his last win at Ayr in September 2025 and now — nearly a year — is a long stretch without a victory. For all the encouraging signs when conditions suit, El Burhan is the kind of horse who needs the planets to align: the right distance, the right ground, the right jockey, and the right race. When they do, he can win. When they don't, he tends to disappoint.