Galyx

His first win came at Windsor in May 2024, and Channon was open afterwards about the fact that Galyx had taken an unusually long time to mature mentally. The tight turns at Windsor had looked like they might catch him out, but instead he handled it all with what his trainer called a "bit of class" — the kind of performance that shifts a horse from promising to genuinely exciting. He followed it up with a win at Leicester the following October over a mile and two furlongs, and that result pushed his official rating to 87. That is the number that tells you where a horse sits in the pecking order, and 87 is a rating that opens doors to some of the better races on the calendar.

Channon's ambitions for him have been clear. Before this season began, he singled Galyx out as a horse to aim at the John Smith's Cup — a well-known summer race that attracts strong fields — and mentioned Glorious Goodwood as another target. Those are not quiet, under-the-radar aspirations. That said, Galyx has not won any of the three races he has contested at the next level up, so stepping up in class remains a test he has yet to pass.

The other significant detail is timing. His Leicester win was 19 months ago, and he has not raced for roughly nine months. Horses returning from a long break can take a run or two to find their best form. Channon's yard has been in fine fettle this season — 46 winners and counting — which suggests Galyx will be well-prepared. But whether he comes back sharper than ever, or whether he needs a race to blow away the cobwebs, is the question his next appearance will begin to answer.