Damascus Steel

His best form has come on the all-weather, and nowhere more so than at Newcastle, where he's won 2 of just 4 races. That's a 50% win rate at the track, which is a remarkable number however you dress it up. For context, most horses go an entire career without winning half their races anywhere. The trainer is keen to get him back on turf, but the all-weather surfaces have clearly suited him, and Lingfield Park provided his most recent win in January 2026. His first career victory came at Windsor back in May 2023, when a tactical switch — riding him more prominently and adding blinkers — seemed to unlock something in him. The trainer noted at the time that it was about finding out what made him tick, and the blinkers appeared to sharpen his focus.

What makes Damascus Steel genuinely interesting is the streak of unpredictability that runs through him. His trainer describes him as a horse who will run a bad race and then turn around and win — a trait apparently typical of his sire, Mastercraftsman. His last six races back that up perfectly: two wins followed by a non-finish, then a second, then back-to-back blanks with a sixth and fifth most recently. The Kempton run that started this sequence was a write-off — he was stuck at the back of a slowly run race and never got involved. His trainer is candid that he lost his way for a spell after winning three times last year.

The more encouraging news is that he's dropped down the weights as a result, and his trainer reckons he may now be competing off a mark that underestimates him — the kind of situation where a win can come from nowhere. He raced just one day ago and remains active, so whatever comes next is imminent. Whether it's a flat track on turf or another spin on the all-weather, you wouldn't bet against Damascus Steel springing a surprise.