The overall numbers are modest. Two wins and six placed finishes from 23 races is a 9% win rate — roughly 1 in every 10 races — and the last victory came at Chester in September 2024, now 21 months ago. Recent form hasn't been encouraging either: in its last six races the best result was a second place, and the most recent run produced a sixteenth. That said, Fuji Mountain raced just yesterday, so this is a horse very much in the thick of a busy season.
Where the horse does show genuine quality is at Class 4 level — the workaday middle tier of British racing, where most horses spend their careers. There, Fuji Mountain has won 2 of 7 races, a 29% win rate, or almost 1 in 3. That's a strong return at the right level, suggesting a horse that knows its grade and can compete when conditions suit.
Jockey Zak Wheatley has become the regular partner, riding in 13 of Fuji Mountain's 23 races and accounting for both wins — a 15% win rate together, which works out to winning roughly 1 in every 6 or 7 times they've teamed up. That's a meaningful partnership, and the fact that the two wins have come exclusively through this combination isn't something to overlook. Trainer Declan Carroll, based at Malton in North Yorkshire, has sent out 22 winners this season, so the yard is in good form even if this particular horse is waiting for its moment.
The story of Fuji Mountain is essentially the story of one track. Chester is a notoriously tight, left-handed circuit — almost circular — and certain horses simply take to it in a way they never do elsewhere. Fuji Mountain appears to be one of them. The question for anyone watching is simple: when does it go back?
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Tight |
4 | 2 wins, 2 other | 20 Sep | 50% |
| York Galloping |
4 | 1 third, 3 other | 28 Jun | 0% |
| Beverley Undulating |
3 | 3 other | 12 May | 0% |
| Pontefract Undulating |
3 | 1 second, 2 other | 22 May | 0% |
| Nottingham Galloping |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 29 Oct | 0% |
| Ascot Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 19 Jun | 0% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 29 Mar | 0% |
| Goodwood Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 31 Jul | 0% |
| Thirsk Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 22 Apr | 0% |
| Hamilton Park Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 15 Jun | 0% |
| Redcar Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 17 Oct | 0% |
| Wolverhampton Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 1 Jun | 0% |