Alafdhal

Alafdhal does its best work at the level where most of British racing quietly happens. Ten of its 12 career wins have come in Class 6 company — the grassroots end of the sport — and at that level it wins 1 in every 5 races, which is a genuinely strong record. That is not a horse out of its depth or scraping around. That is a horse that knows its job and does it well when the conditions are right.

The most recent form makes for interesting reading. Two wins from the last six races is a solid return, and crucially those wins came back-to-back — the most recent of them at Wolverhampton in December 2025. Horses that string consecutive wins together are usually doing so because something has clicked, whether that is fitness, confidence, or simply finding the right race. The three runs since that winning double have been less impressive — finishing ninth, fifth, and seventh — but Alafdhal has now had a 47-day break, which suggests Phil McEntee's yard has been patient rather than pushing it through a flat spell.

McEntee trains out of Newmarket and has had 20 winners this season, so the yard is in decent form. His daughter Grace McEntee rides Alafdhal most often, though their record together — 1 win from 17 races — is one of those statistical curiosities that racing throws up. The horse clearly wins with other riders too, so it is not a partnership that has fully unlocked each other yet.

First winning at Great Yarmouth back in June 2022, Alafdhal has now been a winner across three calendar years. At eight, it is no youngster, but horses at this level can keep going well into their later years if they stay sound. After a short freshening-up break, the question now is whether there are a few more wins left in the tank.