Zain Primus

The wins came at Kempton Park in early April and Newcastle in mid-May, with the Newcastle success being the more recent of the two and now five months in the past. That gap without a victory is notable for a horse this age, particularly one that had shown enough to win twice already. Trained by John Butler at Newmarket — a yard that has sent out 39 winners this season — Zain Primus has the infrastructure around it that suggests the team knows what they are doing. Whether recent form represents a dip in confidence, tougher competition, or simply the natural rhythm of a young horse's development remains to be seen. The latest outing, a third-place finish just days ago, keeps the door open: this is a horse still capable of finishing in the money, and with racing resuming, another winning opportunity may not be far away.