Musical Times

That perfect record demands an explanation, because horses this young almost never sweep the board. Most promising youngsters hit a wall — a tougher opponent, an off day, bad luck in the running. Musical Times has encountered none of it. The wins have come in quick succession too, suggesting the horse is improving with racing rather than simply getting lucky. Each outing has added to a streak that feels genuinely rare at this level of racing.

Charlie Appleby's Newmarket yard is one of Britain's most powerful training operations, and Musical Times sits within a team that has sent out 121 winners already this season. Appleby does not produce perfect records lightly. The fact that this two-year-old has not put a foot wrong — and continues to race actively — suggests the trainer sees something worth testing at higher levels. A horse that has beaten everything it has faced so far will soon encounter stiffer competition. Whether Musical Times can maintain this flawless record is now the only question that matters.