Don Rafael

Across its full career of 18 races, Don Rafael has won 4 and placed in 11 others — meaning it has finished in the top three in roughly 83% of its races. That is a horse that consistently shows up. The overall win rate of around 1 in every 5 races (22%) is solid, and the recent run of form tells an even better story: two wins from the last six outings, with a third place sandwiched in between. This is not a horse going through the motions.

Don Rafael is trained by Samuel Drinkwater, based at Strensham in Worcestershire — a modest yard that has still managed to send out 9 winners this season, which tells you Drinkwater knows how to place his horses where they can win. Hereford is barely 25 miles from the stable, and it shows. That local knowledge, combined with a horse that clearly thrives on the track, is a combination any trainer would want to have in their corner.

Sean Bowen, one of the most respected jump jockeys around, has partnered Don Rafael five times. They have won together once — a 20% win rate, or 1 from 5. That is not a bad record given how competitive racing at this level can be. The pair's first career win together came at Stratford-on-Avon in July 2024, which opened the account and set the tone.

The one honest caveat is that Don Rafael typically competes at Class 4, and at that level across 11 races the win rate drops to just 1 in 11 — about 9%. Step it up to the very best races and the results thin out. But that is not the point of this horse. Don Rafael is a track specialist who turns up at Hereford and wins races. Sometimes that is exactly the kind of story worth following.