Desert Cop

Desert Cop has won 4 races from 30, which works out at roughly 1 in every 7 or 8 races. That is not a flashy record on paper, but the quality of those wins matters more than the count. Two of his four victories have come in top-tier British races — the kind that sit just below the very highest level — including a memorable win at Newmarket in May 2024, one of the most prestigious tracks in the country. His regular jockey Oisin Murphy, who has won 2 of the 8 races they have ridden together (1 in every 4), was honest after Newmarket that Desert Cop does not always show up at his best, but when he does, he is something to watch.

What makes him a genuinely interesting horse is that he seems to be improving with age. Most horses peak in their younger years, but Desert Cop is 6 now and just won a top-level race at Windsor this week — a few days ago, in fact. George Baker's yard has sent out 14 winners already this season, and Desert Cop is one of them. The bulk of his career has been spent in high-quality races: 14 of his 30 races have been at the top tiers of British racing, and he has won 2 of those 14, which is a 14% win rate in very competitive company. That is not easy, and it puts him firmly in the bracket of horses who mix it with the best.

Whether he can reach Group 1 level — the absolute summit of the sport — is uncertain, even by Murphy's own admission. But Desert Cop is that appealing type of horse: difficult to predict, capable of real brilliance, and apparently getting better as he gets older. When a horse wins a race this week and the question being asked is how far he can go, that is a story worth following.