Archduke Ferdinand

The record reads five wins and eight places from those 31 races — a win rate of roughly 1 in every 6 outings, or 16% if you prefer the number. That is a modest but honest return for a horse competing mainly at Class 4 level, the bread-and-butter tier of British racing. At that level he has won 2 from 15, which works out at just 13%, so he is not a banker even on his home turf in the rankings. His career best performances come on dry or normal ground, where the numbers brighten considerably — 3 wins from 9 races on fast, dry ground (33%) and 2 from 7 on normal ground (29%). Put him in the mud and he is a different proposition entirely.

The partnership with jockey Dale Swift is the defining relationship of his career. Together they have raced 25 times, winning 3 — roughly 1 in every 8 rides. That is not a thunderous record, but 25 races together represents real loyalty, and when it does click, they clearly know each other well. His first career win came at Musselburgh in July 2023, and his most recent at Redcar in May 2025, so there is a ten-month gap since he last hit the winner's enclosure. Recent form — finishing ninth, fifth, seventh, and then a couple of twelfths — suggests he is finding life a little harder at the moment, without quite falling off a cliff.

At a mile and one or two furlongs he has won 1 from 4 at that trip, a 25% return that stands out as his most productive distance. The picture that emerges is of a reliable, well-travelled campaigner who pays his way, loves the ground fast, and is probably at his most dangerous when the sun has been out for a few days and Dale Swift is in the saddle. The win drought will end eventually — horses like this tend to find a way.