Fireblade

The overall record reads two wins and 12 places from 18 races, which works out at roughly 1 in every 9 races ending in a win. That might not sound spectacular, but the placing record tells a different story — this horse almost always turns up and competes. It has been out of the frame in only a handful of its 18 outings, and consistent placing at a decent level is genuinely hard to do. The first win came at Leicester in April 2025, a solid starting point, before Fireblade stepped up dramatically to land that Ascot prize four months later.

One number that stands out is the record on fast, dry ground: two wins from nine races on those conditions, a 22% win rate — just over 1 in every 4 races. Compare that to the overall figure and it becomes clear that when the sun has been out and the ground is quick, Fireblade becomes a very different proposition. Keep an eye on the weather forecast before this horse runs.

The recent form does raise questions. Fireblade has not won in its last six races, and a finishing position of 17th in one of those is hard to overlook — that is a day to forget. But the surrounding results show a horse still placing regularly (a second and two fourths in that sequence), which suggests something temporary rather than a horse that has fallen away entirely. Raced just yesterday, it is clearly fit and active.

Cunha's yard has sent out 45 winners this season, which marks it as one of the more productive operations in Newmarket right now — a town that takes its racing seriously and doesn't suffer ordinary trainers gladly. With better ground, a track that suits, and a trainer in form, Fireblade remains the kind of horse you'd want on your side rather than against you.