Good Karma

The numbers tell an interesting story about where this horse is most dangerous. Over distances of seven furlongs to a mile, Good Karma has won 4 of 21 races — roughly 1 in every 5 at those trips, which is a genuinely strong return. Stretch it shorter or longer and the results dry up. That 19% win rate at the right distance, compared to an overall win rate of around 1 in every 8 races across its whole career, tells you the team knows exactly how to place this horse when they want results.

Wolverhampton is where Good Karma does its best work. Two wins from 9 races there — including the very first career win back in November 2022 — and, crucially, a victory at the same track just two weeks ago. That kind of course form matters. Some horses simply take to a particular track, its layout, its surface, its bends, and Wolverhampton seems to suit this one down to the ground. The fact that the most recent win came there suggests the horse is in the form of its life right now.

Trainer John David Riches runs a small yard up in Pilling, Lancashire, and has sent out 5 winners already this season. He also has a notable connection to this horse — Good Karma carries the colours of Michael Buckley, the same owner behind Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill. Riches and Buckley go back a long way, with the trainer describing Buckley as his first ever owner and a very dear friend. That kind of long-standing relationship between owner and trainer often brings a certain patience and care in how a horse is campaigned, and Good Karma's steady progression suggests exactly that.

One curious wrinkle: regular jockey Sean Kirrane has ridden Good Karma nine times without a win between them. Given that all four career wins have come with other riders aboard, that partnership is one to note — it has yet to click, despite plenty of opportunity.