Gustav Graves

His natural home is at the lower end of the sport — Class 6, the entry level of British racing — where he has won 6 of his 46 races at that level, or roughly 1 in every 8. That's his sweet spot, and when conditions align, he can be a real threat in that company. Wolverhampton has been the backdrop for two defining moments in his story: his very first career win there in April 2022, and his most recent success on 22 December 2025, meaning he began and arguably peaked at the same floodlit venue. There's a neat symmetry to that.

His most productive partnership has been with jockey Joanna Mason, who has ridden him to 5 of his 8 career wins from 32 races together — that's a win rate of 16%, or roughly 1 in every 6 rides. For context, his overall win rate is 1 in 11, so the numbers speak clearly: he simply goes better with Mason in the saddle. That kind of specific, repeatable chemistry between horse and rider is rarer than it sounds and is worth paying attention to.

He's trained by Derek Shaw, whose yard in Sproxton, Leicestershire, has already sent out 7 winners this season — a healthy return that suggests the operation is in decent form. Gustav Graves raced just 9 days ago and hasn't won in his last 6 outings, his recent form reading 6-3-2-blank-6-5. A second place and a third suggest he's competitive, but the winning has dried up since that December victory at Wolverhampton. At 8 years old, he's no youngster, but horses like this often find a way to sneak another win when the conditions are right, the class is friendly, and the right rider is booked.