Buckna

Those two wins both came at Hereford, and that track now looks like Buckna's personal stamping ground. He has won 2 of his 3 races there, which for a horse that has only won twice in total means Hereford accounts for his entire career tally. Most horses find one course slightly more comfortable than others. Buckna seems to genuinely come alive there. His most recent win was on 20 December, around four months ago, and he has been given a short break since — 43 days off before whatever comes next.

His overall record reads 2 wins and 6 places from 10 races, which works out at winning 1 in every 5 — a perfectly respectable return at this level. He competes mainly in Class 4 races, the solid mid-tier of the sport, and his 2 wins from 9 races at that level (roughly 22%, or about 1 in 4 and a half) suggest he is competitive without yet being dominant. What is interesting is that his regular jockey, James Bowen, has ridden him 8 times without a single win together. The two wins have clearly come with someone else in the saddle, which is a curious wrinkle that any punter would want to look up before betting.

Greatrex's yard has been in excellent form this season, sending out 50 winners, so Buckna is operating within a confident, well-organised operation. And the trainer's own assessment is worth holding onto: he describes Buckna as a big horse, far from the finished article, with the potential to become a serious staying chaser in time. That is trainer-speak for a horse still growing into itself — one that might be considerably better in a year or two than it is today. The patience required to follow a horse like that is real, but so is the upside.