Astronomica

Both wins came in the summer of 2023: first at Windsor in May, then at Leicester in July. That second win, now 33 months ago, remains the most recent time Astronomica has won a race, and since then it has gone six races without adding to the tally. The recent form figures of 8-7-4-2-5-2 are actually more encouraging than they first appear — two runner-up finishes in the mix suggests the horse is still competing, still placing, still finding the line. It is not a spent force. It just cannot quite get past the one in front.

The partnership with jockey George Wood is the most consistent thread in Astronomica's career. Wood has ridden the horse 14 times, which is most of its career, and those two wins have both come with him aboard. That works out at 2 wins from 14 rides together — roughly 1 in every 7 — which actually outperforms the horse's overall record. Whatever the pair have between them, it is the best version of this horse we have seen.

The class level is worth noting, and not in a flattering way. Astronomica has run 10 times at Class 5 — one step up from the very bottom of British racing — and has not won a single one of those races. For context, Class 5 is where horses go when the aim is to find a winnable race rather than a prestigious one. Failing to win at that level across ten attempts is a stubborn statistic, and it suggests the horse may be operating in competitive fields even at this tier.

Now Astronomica returns after eight months off. Long breaks can mean many things — a minor setback, a patient yard biding its time, or simply a reset. The talent to win is clearly there. The question is whether, after all this time, something has changed enough to end what is becoming a very long wait for a third victory.