First Instinct

Trained by William Haggas at Newmarket, First Instinct has come through one of the most respected yards in British racing. Haggas has sent out 176 winners this season alone — a number that reflects a stable running at full tilt — and First Instinct is clearly one of the horses the team believes in. The evidence is in the races they have chosen to enter: seven of its ten outings have come at Class 1 level, the very top tier of British racing. Winning even 1 of those 7 races is a genuine achievement, and First Instinct has done exactly that.

That win came at Newbury on 20 September 2025, a Class 1 race and the clearest statement the horse has made so far. It had already shown promise before that — a Class 2 win at Haydock in September 2024 and a first career win at Nottingham in August 2024 — but stepping up to beat the best at Newbury is a different matter entirely. Recent form reads 1-4-5-2-3-1, which tells an interesting story: two wins bookending a slightly inconsistent middle patch, suggesting a horse that responds well when conditions suit.

And conditions do seem to matter. On slightly soft ground — when there has been a bit of rain and the track has some give in it — First Instinct has won 2 of 3 races, a hit rate of 67%. On faster, drier ground the record is less emphatic. Keep an eye on the forecast.

Jockey Tom Marquand has been the regular partner, and the combination clicks: 3 wins from 5 races together, a 60% win rate that is exceptional by any measure. First Instinct returns now after a six-month break since that Newbury triumph. Whether it comes back as sharp as it left is the question — but everything before the break suggests a horse with real talent and a big occasion already on its CV.