Appier

The trainer is Richard J Bandey, based down in Tadley in Hampshire, and the yard has been in fine form this season with 14 winners already on the board. When it comes to the saddle, Ben Curtis has been the go-to rider, and the numbers make an argument for keeping him there — 4 wins from just 7 rides together works out at winning more than half the time, which is an extraordinary ratio and suggests the two have found a real understanding.

The place that brings out the best in Appier is Wolverhampton, where the horse has won 2 races from 5 visits — a 40% win rate at a single track is the kind of figure that makes a shrewd punter sit up straight. Most recently, Appier won there on 6 January 2026, just three months ago, so this is not ancient history. The all-weather surface at Wolves clearly suits, and it would be no surprise to see the yard — sorry, to see the yard — pointing back in that direction before long.

Recent form tells a story of a horse right in the mix. Reading the last six runs from most recent backwards — 13th, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 3rd — you can see a horse that was bang on form a few runs ago and has slipped slightly since, though a handful of placed efforts in between keep the confidence ticking over. Appier raced just yesterday, which confirms this is a horse being kept busy and in a rhythm. At its best over longer trips of two miles or more, winning 1 from 3 at that distance, there is a sense that when the conditions and the course align, Appier remains capable of making its mark.