Clean Getaway

The most interesting number in Clean Getaway's record is the one attached to Sedgefield. Five wins from 16 races at that track — almost 1 in every 3 — is the kind of figure that makes racegoers circle the course in their diary. For context, five of his seven career wins have come at the same venue, which means Sedgefield isn't just somewhere he happens to run well; it's genuinely his home turf. His most recent win came there on 1 April this year, eight weeks ago, and with the horse still active — he raced just yesterday — you wouldn't bet against him heading back there before long.

The partnership with jockey Joe Williamson is worth noting too. The pair have ridden together in 37 of Clean Getaway's 44 races, and all seven wins have come with Williamson in the saddle — a win rate of 19%, or just under 1 in 5. That kind of continuity is rare and usually means something: the jockey knows the horse, the horse trusts the jockey, and Kirby clearly sees the relationship as worth protecting.

Kirby trains out of East Appleton in North Yorkshire and has been in fine form this season, sending out 36 winners. He has spoken warmly about Clean Getaway — describing him as "great fun" and someone who "took a fair bit of getting going" early on but has since delivered some genuinely good days out. The trainer also noted that the horse performs better on faster, drier ground, which is why the team managed his schedule carefully and gave him a break before targeting the right conditions.

At nine years old and operating mainly in Class 5, the lowest tier of British racing, Clean Getaway is not competing at the sport's glamour end. But longevity, a track he dominates, and a yard clearly fond of him make for a quietly compelling story. He's been winning races for two years now, and on the evidence of his recent form — a win, a second, and a fourth in his last four — he's not done yet.