Korbut

The record tells a consistent story: one win from eight races overall gives a win rate of just 12 per cent, but the five places from its remaining seven attempts suggest Korbut belongs in competitive races and is competitive in them. It's the kind of record that belongs to a solid, reliable performer rather than a star, yet the consistency of finishing in the first three places shows it has genuine ability. That first win came at the right track for it — Ffos Las in Wales — and the fact that Korbut has raced there twice now and won on both occasions suggests it may have found a course where it runs particularly well.

Korbut races for Sir Mark Prescott's yard at Newmarket, one of the most respected training operations in British racing. Prescott's string has produced 47 winners already this season, so Korbut is part of a genuinely successful team. The timing of the breakthrough win this week, combined with recent form showing the horse capable of finishing in the money race after race, suggests Korbut may be about to move into a more consistent winning pattern. After months of placings, it has tasted victory at last, and there is every reason to expect it will do so again.