Bearwith

What makes Bearwith interesting is less about dominating any single track and more about the kind of horse he is as he ages. His trainer, Harriet Bethell, based near Arnold in East Yorkshire, describes him with obvious fondness as "a great old stick" — the sort of honest horse who turns up and tries. He has delivered at least one win for the yard every single year they have had him. He tends to compete in Class 5 races, which is where he belongs, and while he has managed only 3 wins from 24 such races, his true strength shows on normal ground, where he has won 4 of his last 14 races — a 29% win rate that suggests he is genuinely better suited to certain conditions. He has also shown real affection for Redcar, winning 2 of his 5 races there.

Cam Hardie, his most frequent jockey, has been aboard for four of those wins across 17 rides together — a 24% win rate that hints at a genuine partnership. Last season there have been minor wind issues that Bethell feels may have made him slightly inconsistent, but his recent form has been mixed rather than broken. After winning at Newcastle in July and Doncaster in June, his last six races have yielded a win and two placed finishes, with three poor efforts mixed in. At eight years old and with over £70,000 in career prize money, Bearwith is doing what good horses do at his level: showing up, trying hard, and still capable of surprising when the race is right.