Dark Moon Rising

His most recent win came just two months ago at York in a Class 2 race on 10 July 2026, and before that he won at Southwell in November 2024 — also Class 2, also on an artificial surface. That matters because York holds a special place in his record: he has won twice from 21 races there, which makes it his strongest course by some distance. He loves normal ground conditions, winning 2 from 12 races on that surface (17%), compared to his overall win rate. His best distance appears to be a mile and one furlong to a mile and two furlongs — he has won once from only three races at that trip, a 33 per cent win rate that stands out sharply against his career average.

Kevin Ryan, his trainer at Hambleton in North Yorkshire, has shown real faith in the horse despite some indifferent patches. Ryan suggested that Dark Moon Rising had shown high-class form at three years old and could find his true level in handicap races, particularly over ten furlongs on conventional tracks. The horse can be green and needs learning, but when he settles into a race he travels well and gallops through. With Tom Eaves his regular rider, they have won once from 12 races together. Dark Moon Rising raced just yesterday, so he is in active work now. At seven, time may be running short to unlock whatever untapped potential Ryan believes is still there, but his recent wins suggest he has not finished his story yet.