Barleybrown

Last year was his best season yet. All four of those Newcastle wins came in 2024, all over a mile, all on normal ground — and that ground preference is backed up by the numbers too: he's won 4 of 17 races when conditions are right, or about 1 in 4. Carr has spoken about what a busy year it was for him, and the results showed. He last won there in October 2024, and has since had a break through the winter to freshen up.

The challenge now is that success comes at a cost in racing. Each win nudges a horse's official rating higher, which means tougher competition next time out. Carr has been open about the fact that Barleybrown will need to find a bit more this season having been raised to a mark of 66 off the back of that purple patch. He's been placed 14 times in his career without winning — 3rd or 4th or just a little short — so he's competitive, but the margins are tighter now. His last six races have brought a second, two thirds, and three finishes further back, which suggests he's working hard to find his feet at the new level.

James Sullivan rides him most often — 17 races together, 2 wins, which mirrors his overall win rate almost exactly. Carr's instructions are to hold him up, letting the race develop before asking him to finish, which is a patient approach that clearly paid dividends on the banks of the Tyne last year. Ruth Carr's yard has had 63 winners already this season, so there's plenty of form in the stable. Whether Barleybrown can add to his tally remains to be seen, but if you're looking for a horse worth watching, check the Newcastle entries.