Banderas
Banderas has earned himself a reputation as a horse that thrives when conditions turn nasty. In five wins across 26 races, two of them came on soft, muddy ground — a 40% win rate that stands out sharply against his overall record of winning roughly one in every five starts. His trainer,
Sam England, is straightforward about this: Banderas simply doesn't perform on fast, dry ground and wants the going soft or heavy. That preference almost cost the horse his career, because his shock win at Wolverhampton on all-weather came in fog and came as a genuine surprise to everyone involved. It tells you something about a horse when its trainer describes a victory as shocking.
Based on TrackLab's analysis
📊 Key numbers
Career totals for this horse
🔍 Full analysis
Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
The horse has found his niche in staying races on the Flat, where his pedigree and temperament have earned genuine respect. His breakthrough came at Chester in May 2023 with a Class 2 win, and he has since added four more victories to his record. Most recently, he won at Hexham in May 2026, but that was five months ago and his form has dipped since — his last six races show only one top-3 finish. At six years old, Banderas has been racing for some time, and his trainer has flagged that a break may be needed. The yard, based at Guiseley in West Yorkshire, has been in excellent form this season with 49 winners, but Banderas himself has struggled when stepped up to Class 4 company, winning just one of 10 races at that level. He remains best suited by softer ground and a trip that lets him settle and stay, the kind of horse that can deliver on the right day but needs everything in his favour to do so.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on soft ground: 2 wins from 5 starts (40%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on standard_to_slow ground: 0 wins from 4 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Good (a little give)
Likes
Standard (all-weather)
Ok
Good to soft (some give)
Unknown
Good to firm (fairly firm)
Unknown
Standard to slow (all-weather)
Avoids
📏 Race distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Likes
🏅 Race level
Class 2 (high-level)
Likes
Class 5 (entry-level)
Likes
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, long straights
Ok
Right-handed, long straights
Unknown
Right-handed, hilly
Unknown
Left-handed, tight
Unknown
Right-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
16 Oct
6th
Uttoxeter
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 6 runners
2 Oct
7th
Hexham
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 7 runners
15 Jun
5th
Carlisle
1m6f – 2m · Good · 14 runners
19 May
🏆 Won
Hexham
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 13 runners
2 May
5th
Hexham
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 7 runners
26 Sep
8th
Worcester
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 16 runners
5 Jul
🏆 Won
Carlisle
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 11 runners
9 Jun
🏆 Won
Southwell
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 9 runners
3 May
3rd
Hexham
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 14 runners
7 Apr
5th
Wolverhampton
1m6f – 2m · Standard · 8 runners
🏇 Jockeys
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
🏟 Course record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|
| Hexham Undulating |
4 |
1 win, 1 third, 2 other |
2 Oct |
25% |
| Southwell Galloping |
3 |
1 win, 1 third, 1 other |
9 Jun |
33.3% |
| Wolverhampton Galloping |
3 |
1 win, 2 other |
7 Apr |
33.3% |
| Newcastle Galloping |
3 |
3 other |
9 Dec |
0% |
| Chester Tight |
2 |
1 win, 1 other |
15 Jul |
50% |
| Carlisle Undulating |
2 |
1 win, 1 other |
15 Jun |
50% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
2 |
1 third, 1 other |
19 Feb |
0% |
| Kempton Park Galloping |
2 |
1 third, 1 other |
7 Sep |
0% |
| Newbury Galloping |
1 |
1 second |
22 Apr |
0% |
| Worcester Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
26 Sep |
0% |
| Thirsk Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
16 Jun |
0% |
| Ripon Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
27 Apr |
0% |
| Uttoxeter Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
16 Oct |
0% |