Two of those three victories have arrived at Chepstow, making it by far the horse's happiest hunting ground. Seven races there, two wins — that is nearly 1 in every 3 and a pattern that is hard to ignore. Tracks suit horses for all sorts of reasons — the way they turn, the camber of the ground, the distance from the last fence to the line — and whatever it is about Chepstow, Castelfort has clearly taken to it. The most recent of those wins came on 27 December 2024, so it has been 15 months since the last victory, and the current run of six races without a win will be something Jane Williams and her team at the Devon yard will be keen to end.
Williams, based in George Nympton, has had 21 winners this season, so the yard is in decent form. And when David Noonan is in the saddle, Castelfort has won 3 of their 8 races together — that is 38%, or nearly 2 in every 5, which is a remarkable number and suggests the partnership brings out the best in the horse. Noonan clearly knows how to ride it.
One more factor worth watching: Castelfort is at its best on very wet or muddy ground, winning 2 of 5 races in those conditions — 40%, or 2 in 5. That is a meaningful edge. A dry spring day is probably not when you want to see it run. A rainy midwinter card at Chepstow with Noonan up? That is a very different conversation. The horse raced just 11 days ago, so it is fit and active. The wins are in there — they just need the right stage.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chepstow Galloping |
7 | 2 wins, 1 second, 2 thirds, 2 other | 21 Feb | 28.6% |
| Sandown Park Galloping |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 9 Mar | 50% |
| Newbury Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 29 Dec | 0% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 17 Feb | 0% |
| Newton Abbot Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 29 Oct | 0% |
| Uttoxeter Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 15 Mar | 0% |
| hereford | 1 | 1 third | 18 Mar | 0% |