Best Mate Dave

That single win came at Worcester back in June 2023, over three years ago now, and it remains the one moment where everything clicked. Since then, across six consecutive races, he has not managed to find the winner's enclosure again. His recent form figures — a couple of placed efforts sandwiched around some more modest finishes — suggest he is competitive enough to hang around the race without quite having the gear to win it. He raced just yesterday, which tells you the team are keeping him busy and haven't given up on finding another day like that one at Worcester.

Class 5 is where Best Mate Dave has done his best work, which is the everyday, workaday level of British racing rather than the big occasions. Even there, his record reads 1 win from 10 races — a 10% win rate, or 1 in 10. That's modest, but it does mean he belongs at that level and isn't just making up the numbers. Jockey Kielan Woods has partnered him seven times without a win between them, which is a notable stat — seven rides is enough of a sample to say that particular combination hasn't yet found the formula.

What makes Best Mate Dave an interesting character rather than a forgettable one is simply that he keeps showing up. Nine years old, one career win, and he raced yesterday. Some horses at this stage of their careers quietly disappear from the entries. This one doesn't, and somewhere in the team there's clearly still a belief that the right day might come around again — ideally somewhere near Worcester.