The Monkey King

What makes The Monkey King interesting right now is the question hanging over what comes next. In three career races, the horse has managed a win and two placings — a record that translates to winning roughly one in every three races. The recent form line of 1-3-6 tells you the horse is still finding its feet at this level, dipping from that brilliant first win into a third place, then a sixth. That is exactly what you would expect from a young horse still learning the game, but it also means there is work to do before anyone can confidently say this is a real prospect. The Brighton win proved it can do it; the job now is proving it can do it consistently.

Trained by Ralph Beckett at Kimpton in Hampshire, The Monkey King is part of a yard that knows how to get two-year-olds to the winners' enclosure — Beckett has sent out 107 winners already this season, which is serious output. That backing and experience matters at this stage of a horse's career. The Monkey King is still very much a work in progress, but a debut winner with a yard this capable behind it is at least a name worth keeping an eye on.