Chasingouttheblues

The seven-year-old only got going in November 2024, when it broke its duck at Hexham, but it has made up for lost time at a remarkable rate. Since then it has rattled through six career wins, and its last six races read 3-1-2-1-1-5 from most recent back — meaning it has won three of them and finished out of the frame just once. Last week it was back in the winner's enclosure at Carlisle, which suggests it is in the form of its life right now.

The partnership with jockey Jamie Hamilton is worth highlighting. Together they have won 6 of 14 races — that's 43%, or nearly 3 in every 7 times they team up. That is an exceptional ratio and suggests a real understanding between horse and rider. When Hamilton climbs aboard, the horse wins almost as often as not.

Where Chasingouttheblues really comes alive is at Class 4 level — the bread-and-butter tier of the sport, where consistent, reliable horses tend to thrive. It has won 4 of 7 races at that level, a 57% win rate, or better than 1 in every 2 races. That is a dominant record by any standard. Behind it all is trainer Mark Walford, whose Sheriff Hutton yard in North Yorkshire has sent out 36 winners this season alone — a productive operation that clearly knows how to place a horse to best effect. Chasingouttheblues looks like one of the yard's more reliable tools at the moment, and with a race just seven days ago still in the legs, the team clearly aren't afraid to keep it busy while it's running well.