Al Barez

His record tells a solid story: 5 wins and 11 places from 25 races, a win rate of 20% — roughly 1 in every 5 races. That puts him firmly in the respectable middle tier of racehorses, a reliable competitor rather than a star, but one who turns up and performs. His best ground is normal conditions, where he has won 2 of 6 races — one in every three — which is a strong return and worth remembering when the draw of fixtures comes around. He competes most often at Class 3, one step below the top-tier races, and has won 2 of his 9 races at that level.

His regular partner is jockey Jack Mitchell, and that combination has produced 3 wins from 12 races together — 25%, or 1 in 4. That is a sharp conversion rate and suggests a real understanding between horse and rider. His last win came at Southwell in April 2024, over a year ago now, and after that race the jockey at the time, Oisin Murphy, noted that Al Barez was easy to ride and had a great attitude — praise that speaks to a horse with a decent mind rather than just raw talent.

Trainer Tom Clover, based at Newmarket, has sent out 23 winners already this season — a yard in good form — and he has spoken warmly about Al Barez's recent improvement after that patchy winter, with a trip to Windsor flagged as the next target. His comment after a Kempton win is also worth revisiting: he described Al Barez as "still quite an unexposed horse" with a "lovely pedigree," which in racing terms means he believes there is more to come. For a seven-year-old yet to fulfil his potential, that is a genuinely intriguing thing to say — and with the team clearly optimistic and the horse back in rhythm, a sixth career win may not be far away.