Sputnik

Those two career wins came roughly six months apart — first at Hexham in April 2022, then at Ayr that autumn — both at the lower end of the sport's class system, where Sputnik spends virtually all of its time. Of its 27 races at that level, it has won just one, a win rate of around 4%, or roughly once every 27 attempts. That's a tough ledger, though it's worth noting that 11 places from 32 races overall tells you this is a horse that often runs respectably without quite getting there.

The partnership with jockey Bruce Lynn is the most consistent thread running through Sputnik's career. They've teamed up 14 times, producing both of the horse's career wins — meaning every victory this horse has ever recorded has come with Lynn in the saddle. That's a genuine connection worth watching. Lynn wins on Sputnik at a rate of roughly 1 in every 7 rides together, which comfortably outpaces the horse's overall record and suggests the pair genuinely suit each other.

Trainer Lizzie Quinlan runs a quiet but productive yard at Bolton Mill in Cumbria, and has sent out four winners already this season. Sputnik's recent form — a mix of mid-field finishes and a placed effort two runs back — doesn't scream an imminent return to winning, but the fact that the horse is still racing actively at 11 and still running into the placings occasionally says something about how it's being managed. The wins may be rare, but Sputnik clearly still has reasons to keep lining up.