English Oak

That Ascot win was the one that really fired the imagination. Jockey James Doyle described English Oak as "very speedy" with a "high cruising speed", and spoke about the horse quickening sharply once asked — the kind of language riders use when they think they're sitting on something special. The team came away from that day thinking they might have a serious horse on their hands, a potential Group-level competitor. What followed was, by their own admission, a disappointing stretch. He struggled to recapture that Ascot form and his trainer has been candid about it, noting recently that he needs to "spark back into life."

Then came Dubai. Sent to Meydan this winter, English Oak seemed to rediscover himself in the warmth, winning there in January 2026 and giving the yard genuine encouragement. Doyle noted he hadn't jumped cleanly from the stalls, so the team adapted — sitting quiet, letting him travel, and trusting him to come home. It worked. That kind of tactical flexibility, horse and jockey reading each other mid-race, is what separates decent horses from frustrating ones.

His most trusted partner has been Doyle, who has ridden him six times and won twice together — a win rate of 33%, or 2 from 6, which is a strong return at the level English Oak operates. Trained by Hamad Al Jehani out of Newmarket, he sits in a yard that has sent out 18 winners this season. His trainer now suggests the weights have come back in his favour, putting him just 1lb above the mark he won off at Ascot. With English Oak having raced as recently as yesterday and reportedly looking well, it feels like the team genuinely believes another big day might not be far away.