Genbu

Trainer Sarah-Jayne Davies, who trains him from her yard near Leominster, notes that Genbu was never destined to be an expensive prospect. What he does have is a genuine love of jumping—the discipline suits him—and an affinity for certain conditions. He shows noticeably better form on normal, standard ground, where he has won 2 of 15 races (roughly one in every seven starts), compared to his overall win rate of around one in every fourteen races. When the track conditions are fast and dry, he runs to his best. He also performs well over the longer distances of 1m6f to 2m, where he has managed 1 win from 9 races (roughly one in nine attempts).

Davies has observed that Genbu is a keen sort, prone to racing keenly in his races. An experiment with a tongue-tie at one point quietened him but affected his jumping adversely, so she has since reverted to letting him run in his natural style. When allowed to set the pace, he jumps with noticeably better form. The trainer works with a small but productive yard—five winners sent out this season—and Genbu remains a modest but useful member of the team. At Class 4 level, where most of his races have been contested, he has won once from eight attempts (a win rate of 12 per cent). Given his preferences for ground, distance, and a free rein, Davies will likely choose his spots carefully. Genbu is recent in the winners' enclosure, but three months without a win suggests his next success may take patience to engineer.