Cicero's Gift

The Sandown connection is worth pausing on. He has won twice at that course from five attempts — 2 from 5 might not sound extraordinary, but Sandown is a track that sorts out genuine horses from pretenders, and he keeps coming back to win there. Charles Hills, his trainer at the famous Lambourn yard in Berkshire, has spoken of being "very patient" with him across the summer, quietly keeping the big autumn targets in mind while the season rolled on. That kind of long-range planning paid off handsomely.

What sets Cicero's Gift apart most strikingly, though, is what happens when the heavens open. On wet or muddy ground, he has won 3 races from just 4 attempts — a remarkable 75% record. Hills acknowledged after Ascot that conditions hadn't been ideal that day, the ground staying dry when rain had been hoped for, yet the horse still won. It tells you something about his quality that he can land a top-level race even when the one thing that suits him most isn't in his favour.

The partnership with jockey Jason Watson is a significant part of the story too. Watson has ridden him seven times and won twice — about 1 in every 3-and-a-half rides together — and Hills was visibly emotional about their shared success at Ascot, describing himself as "speechless" and making clear the season had been a tough one. Cicero's Gift has not always been the easiest horse to keep sound, something Hills has been candid about publicly, which makes every race he lines up for feel earned rather than routine.

His most recent run came just one day ago, meaning he is right in the middle of an active campaign. A horse who has conquered both Sandown and Ascot at the highest level this season, and who turns into a different animal on soft ground, is one very worth watching whenever the forecast turns grey.