Novak

He has spent most of his career competing at Class 5 level, the bread-and-butter tier of British racing, where he has won 7 of his 52 races at that grade. His first win came at Newcastle back in October 2021, and his most recent — his tenth — was at the same track in September 2025, nearly four years later. There is something pleasing about that symmetry. Newcastle clearly suits him. His last six races have not produced a win, with finishes of 5th, 8th, 5th, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, but the placed efforts tell you he is still competitive — he just has not found the right moment to get his head back in front.

One thing trainer Iain Jardine is clear about: Novak does not want soft or muddy ground. On faster, drier conditions he has won 2 of his 8 races — a 25% win rate — which is comfortably better than his overall record and well worth bearing in mind as summer approaches. Jardine, who operates out of Carrutherstown in Dumfries and Galloway and has sent out 57 winners already this season, has spoken warmly about Novak's toughness, and has earmarked a race at Ayr's prestigious Western meeting as a target. The owner lives nearby, which adds a little extra meaning to it.

The partnership with jockey Archie Young is worth noting. Young has ridden Novak 22 times and won 5 of them — that is roughly 1 in every 4 rides, a win rate of 23% that comfortably outstrips what Novak manages with anyone else in the saddle. When those two line up together on a dry summer's day, probably at Class 5 level, the ingredients are there for another winner.