Faivoir

That top-level win came on 17 March 2023 at Cheltenham, one of British racing's most prestigious venues. Faivoir won a Class 1 race — the kind of race that draws the best horses in training — and he did it in style, nipping past a rival called Pembroke in the closing stages. Over his last six races, though, he has not found the winner's circle. He ran second most recently, then seventh, eighth, third, 15th, and sixth before that. The dry spells are long at this level, but Skelton's confidence has not wavered. According to the trainer, Faivoir "doesn't seem to have lost any of his enthusiasm" and recently showed "promising" form in a race at Carlisle, suggesting his legs still want to run.

The horse has a clear preference: normal ground suits him best. On standard conditions, he has won 2 of his 6 races, a win rate of one in three — far better than his overall record. But Faivoir is also what horsemen call a "monkey": he has his own ideas about how a race should pan out, and the trainer has noted that he is at his best when there is a clear target in front of him to chase down. At the highest level, this peculiarity means he does not win often enough for the handicapper to weight him too heavily, which keeps him competitive. He is ridden most often by Harry Skelton, though recent Cheltenham victory came with jockey Bridget Andrews in the saddle — a rare outing for the main rider's colleague that proved a success.