What makes Dr Rio interesting is how much better he performs on normal ground. On a standard racing surface, he has won 4 of his 13 races—roughly 31 percent of the time—which is genuinely impressive by comparison to his overall win rate of 12 percent. The lesson here is simple: get him on a fast, dry track and he becomes a different proposition. He also seems to have found his distance in races between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, where he has won 2 of 8 races. Over his career, he typically races at Class 6 level, where he has won 4 of 34 races.
Trainer Declan Carroll, based at Malton in North Yorkshire, has him ticking along nicely—the yard has already sent out 24 winners this season. Dr Rio runs most often for jockey Zak Wheatley, who has ridden him 26 times and won 4 of those races (15 percent), a better win rate than the horse's overall average, suggesting the two work well together. Recent form has been patchy: he finished fifth most recently, then third and seventh before that. But for a horse his age and at this level, he remains active and game, and the yard clearly still see enough to keep bringing him back.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverley Undulating |
30 | 6 wins, 4 seconds, 5 thirds, 15 other | 16 Sep | 20% |
| Newcastle Galloping |
7 | 1 second, 6 other | 3 Nov | 0% |
| Southwell Galloping |
7 | 7 other | 19 Dec | 0% |
| Carlisle Undulating |
3 | 1 win, 2 other | 27 Aug | 33.3% |
| Catterick Bridge Sharp |
3 | 3 other | 8 Apr | 0% |
| Nottingham Galloping |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 15 Jul | 0% |
| Redcar Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 2 Jun | 0% |
| Great Yarmouth Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 19 Oct | 0% |
| Thirsk Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 16 Aug | 0% |
| Ripon Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 28 Aug | 0% |