Clansman

The real story here is the ground. Give Clansman very wet and muddy conditions, and he becomes genuinely dangerous. In races on those surfaces, he wins 3 out of every 5 times — a 60% win rate that is startling compared to his overall record. That is a horse with a genuine preference, and one that knows how to use it. His last win came at Southwell on 29 April 2026, five months ago, and his recent form has been patchy: he has finished outside the frame in his last race, though the two before that brought placings. When the ground suits, though, Clansman is a different proposition.

He has a clear partnership with jockey Billy Garritty, who has ridden him 14 times and won 4 of those races — a win rate of 29%, well above his overall record. That suggests Garritty knows how to get the best from him. At Ayr, another course he favours, Clansman has won twice from six attempts, a record that marks it out as a track where he runs consistently well.

Where Clansman struggles is in the more competitive Class 4 races that make up much of his calendar. He has won just once from 13 of those outings — a humble 8% win rate — suggesting his level is below that standard. At that level, he is a solid stayer, good enough to place regularly but rarely to win. Clansman was last out just a day ago and remains in active training under Liam Bailey at Middleham in North Yorkshire, a yard that has sent out 17 winners already this season. He is a horse that will keep racing, and on the right day with the right ground, he will still find his way to the front.