Footloose Man

What makes Footloose Man genuinely fascinating is what happens when you take him to Fontwell Park. That tight, figure-of-eight track in West Sussex has become something like a second home — he has won 4 of his 9 races there, which means nearly half his visits to Fontwell end in victory. That is a remarkable hit rate for any horse. His first career win came there on 30 August 2024, and he was back winning there just this week, on 24 May 2026. Some horses simply suit a particular track, and Footwell clearly suits him perfectly — the track's unusual layout and sharp turns seem to play to his strengths in a way that other venues do not.

Richard Hobson trains him from a yard in Little Rissington in the Gloucestershire countryside, and it has been a productive season — the yard has sent out 9 winners this season already. Footloose Man has done his share of the work. He also tends to go better when there is a bit of moisture in the ground: on wet or slightly soft ground he has won 2 from 6 races, a 33% win rate that is noticeably higher than his overall average.

One curious wrinkle in his story is his partnership with Gavin Sheehan. The jockey has ridden him 7 times without a win between them — 0 from 7 — yet the horse keeps winning, just apparently with someone else in the saddle. It is the kind of statistic that makes you wonder whether a change of jockey has been part of the recent turnaround. Most of his races have come at Class 5 level, which is the bread-and-butter end of British racing, and he has won 3 of those 15 races. He is not a horse built for the big occasions, but at his level, on his track, Footloose Man is about as reliable as it gets right now.