Berry Clever

Those breakthrough moments do come, though, and they tend to arrive in specific circumstances. On wet or muddy ground, Berry Clever transforms: 3 wins from 9 races at a rate of roughly 1 in every 3. That is a huge jump from its overall record, where it wins closer to 1 in every 7. The message is clear — when the heavens open, this horse gets better while others get worse. Over distances of seven furlongs to a mile, it finds 3 wins from 14 races, suggesting it needs enough trip to build momentum without being asked to stay forever.

The standout detail in Berry Clever's record is Kempton Park. Three wins from 9 races at one track is the kind of number that makes a racing fan sit up — that is a 1-in-3 win rate at a venue where, for most horses, simply finishing in the top half of the field feels like a result. Kempton has tight bends and a synthetic surface that suits a particular way of racing, and Berry Clever has clearly figured it out. The first career win there came in October 2024, and the horse has kept coming back to cash in.

What makes the current form so compelling is the timing. Berry Clever won at Great Yarmouth just last week and races again today, meaning it arrives on the back of a victory with clearly no ill effects. Over the last 6 races the record reads two wins and four places — the horse is not just fit, it is in the form of its life. Trainer Chris Dwyer, based in Newmarket, has sent out 8 winners already this season, so this is a yard operating with confidence. Regular jockey Silvestre De Sousa has partnered Berry Clever 8 times for 1 win together, a modest record, but with the horse rounding into form this sharply, the numbers may be about to catch up.