Chicago Storm

Trained by Daisy Hitchins out of a yard in Sherborne, Dorset — a setup that has sent out 13 winners already this season — the seven-year-old has earned its four career victories the hard way, placing on nine other occasions without getting its head in front. Its best work comes over a staying trip, between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, where it has won 2 of its 13 races at that distance. That 15% win rate at those longer distances might not sound dramatic, but for a horse that wins roughly 1 in every 11 races overall, finding a reliable distance is genuinely meaningful.

The clearest pattern in Chicago Storm's profile is its love of wet ground. On soft or muddy conditions, it has won 2 of just 5 races — that's a 40% win rate, which is extraordinary by any standard. To put it bluntly: on a soaking day, this horse transforms. On faster ground, those numbers disappear entirely. Anyone watching Chicago Storm should be checking the weather forecast before they bother checking anything else.

Its most regular partnership is with Mr Robbie David, who has won 2 of their 11 races together — roughly 1 in every 5 rides, which is well above the horse's overall average. That relationship clearly brings something out in it. The last win came at Stratford-on-Avon on 10 March 2025, and while that's now 13 months ago and the last six races have yielded nothing better than a fourth place, the horse remains active and is clearly still being campaigned with intent.

Chicago Storm is the kind of horse that rewards patience and pattern-spotting. It's not a star, and it mostly competes at Class 4 level — the bread and butter of British racing — but on the right day, over the right distance, in the right conditions, it has shown it can win. The formula is unusually clear. Whether it delivers again is another matter.