Don Brocco

Almost everything good that has happened to Don Brocco has happened at Carlisle. Two of the horse's three career wins have come at that track, including the first one back in February 2022 and the most recent one as recently as February 2025 — just 16 months ago. Nine visits to Carlisle, two wins: that is a 22% win rate at a single venue, and for a horse winning just 9% of its races overall, that is a striking difference. Some horses simply take to a track — the layout, the ground, the way the race tends to unfold — and Carlisle clearly suits this one.

Speaking of ground, Don Brocco genuinely comes alive in wet conditions. On soft or muddy ground, the record reads 3 wins from 12 races, or 1 win in every 4 — compared to nothing at all on faster ground. That is not a small quirk, that is a defining characteristic. The yard at Jedburgh will be watching the weather forecast as closely as anything else when deciding when to run.

Gary Rutherford's team have sent out 7 winners this season, so this is an active, functioning yard rather than one just making up the numbers. Most of Don Brocco's races have come at Class 5 level — the bread-and-butter tier of British racing rather than the prestige end — and that is where 2 of the 3 wins have come. Regular jockey Bruce Lynn has yet to get the partnership quite right, with no wins from their 6 races together, though the horse's overall recent form is patchy regardless: no win in the last 6 outings, with finishes of eighth, fifth, second, and eighth across that spell.

The second place in there is a reminder that the ability is still present. Don Brocco raced just yesterday and is clearly still part of the team's plans. Given a wet day at Carlisle, this horse has shown it can still deliver.