Campenaerts

The trouble is that Campenaerts has not won since October 2025, twelve months ago, when it prevailed at Catterick Bridge. In the six races since then, the form has been patchy. Most recently, it finished fourth, then second, then eighth, seventh, ninth and sixth—a run that shows occasional glimpses of ability but no consistency and no wins. Yesterday's outing, a fourth-place finish, is the most encouraging result in this barren spell, but it underlines how far the horse has fallen from that pair of victories.

Campenaerts is trained by Jonathan Portman, whose Upper Lambourn yard has been in fine form this season with 46 winners to their name. Portman clearly has a way with horses, but even the best trainers cannot make a horse win beyond its level, and Campenaerts may simply have plateaued. The first win came at Wolverhampton in July 2025, and the second at Catterick eight months later—hardly a horse on an upward trajectory. At three years old, Campenaerts still has time to rediscover form, but the year away from the winner's enclosure is a concern. A return to Class 5 company, or a drop down from the stronger fields it has been facing lately, might be the answer.