The emergence of a five-year-old Greek racehorse, Ialysos, has spurred the interest of racing fans in both his home country and England.

The horse's success is even more remarkable since Ialysos was bred from a useless mother and was so small as a foal one of his owners, Marina Marinopoulos, at first considered him a joke, according to insiders.

However, he began winning admirers at the age of three and by the time he left Greece last February he was unbeaten in seven starts at Markopoulou, near Athens.  

That same month his training was taken over by Italian Luca Cumani at Newmarket, in England, where he was dubbed the "Greek Freak," and he won his first race at Haydock in the aptly named race, the Achilles Stakes.

She lost his next race at Ascot, but came back with a big win at Sandown, in the Coral Charge, ridden by top French jockey, Christophe Lemaire.

Racing enthusiasts consider Ialysos, said to be the fastest horse from Greece since Pegasus, as one of the most exciting talents of the season, and smart money will be riding on him in his next race at England's Nunthorpe Stakes on August 21.