Bantz

Both of his wins have come over distances between seven furlongs and a mile — he has won twice from 18 races at those trips, which works out at around 1 in every 9 races, and that is clearly where he is most comfortable. His first win came at Newcastle in January 2025, on the all-weather surface that keeps racing going through the British winter, and his second followed at Doncaster in late April. That second win is actually the more interesting one: trainer Alan Brown noted before it that he expected Bantz to come alive once the ground dried out in spring, and the horse duly delivered on fast, dry turf almost exactly when predicted.

The partnership with jockey Kaiya Fraser is worth noting. In 11 races together they have won twice — roughly 1 in every 5 or 6 — which is a significantly better ratio than Bantz's overall career record. That kind of familiarity between horse and rider can matter at this level. Brown's yard at Yedingham in North Yorkshire has sent out ten winners this season, so this is an operation in decent form.

The recent run of results — finishing seventh, ninth, seventh, fourteenth, tenth, and eighth across his last six outings — suggests Bantz is in a quieter spell right now. He raced just yesterday, so he is clearly being kept busy. At four years old and with his best work seemingly coming on dry ground in the summer months, the question is whether the conditions align for him to find another win before the season turns.