Freddie Robdal

The horse last tasted victory 17 months ago at Kilbeggan on 25 April 2025, and since then has added only places to its record. In its last six outings, it has managed a fourth and a second but otherwise blank scorelines—the kind of run that tests patience. Yet at nine years old and still racing, Freddie remains a genuine campaigner. It is trained by Henry de Bromhead at Knockeen in County Waterford, part of a yard that has sent out 110 winners already this season, so the horse is in the hands of someone who knows how to find opportunities.

Freddie's partnership with champion jockey Rachael Blackmore has yielded just 1 win from 13 races together (8 percent), suggesting no obvious magical chemistry. The horse's sweet spot appears to be the longer middle distances—races between 1m6f and 2m—though even there it has won just 1 of 8 attempts (12 percent). The real lesson is simple: watch the ground. When the going turns heavy, when lesser horses start to struggle and the track becomes a test of will rather than speed, Freddie Robdal is suddenly a horse worth considering. Recent form has been thin, but good ground is not where this one shines anyway.