Classic

The horse's real story is tied to one track: Sandown Park. Classic has raced there seven times and won twice, a record that works out to roughly 1 win in every 3 or 4 races at the venue. In the context of a career where it wins just 1 in every 8 races overall, that is a striking difference. Most recently, it landed a Class 2 race at Sandown on 5 July 2025, which was the kind of performance that reminds everyone in the sport exactly what this horse is capable of. It raced there just ten months ago, and is currently active.

Its best trips are between seven furlongs and a mile, a range where it has won 2 of its 10 races — a 20% win rate, or 1 in every 5. That is meaningfully better than its career average and suggests the yard has a clear idea of where to place it for maximum effect. Pat Dobbs has been in the saddle for 16 of its 23 races, winning twice together, which points to a settled, consistent partnership.

Trainer Richard Hannon — whose yard at Herridge in Wiltshire has already sent out 115 winners this season, which gives a sense of the scale and ambition of the operation — has spoken candidly about Classic having a mental side to its racing. Having the horse gelded appears to have helped settle it, and Hannon was encouraged enough by a recent run at Newbury to talk about targeting a top handicap like the Royal Ascot Hunt Cup. That is a race that draws the very best in the division.

Earlier in Classic's career, after its first win at Newmarket in August 2022, Hannon was talking about the horse potentially reaching the very top level of the sport. It has not quite gone that route, but a recent run of form showing two wins in the last five races suggests this horse still has something left to say.