The place where Gustav Graves is most at home is Wolverhampton. His first career win came there in April 2022, and his most recent win came there too, on 22 December 2025 — four months ago now. That kind of loyalty to a track is not coincidence. Some horses simply suit a particular circuit, its bends, its surface, its pace, and Wolverhampton appears to bring out the best in this one.
He competes mainly in Class 6, which is the entry level of British racing — the bread and butter end of the sport where horses race frequently and prize money is modest. Of his 46 races at that level, he has won 6, a rate of 13%, or roughly 1 in every 8. For the grade, that is a solid return, and it explains why the yard keeps running him. Derek Shaw, based in Sproxton in Leicestershire, has sent out 6 winners from his stable this season, and Gustav Graves is a reliable part of that operation.
The jockey who knows him best is Joanna Mason, who has ridden him 32 times — more than a third of his entire career. Together they have won 5 races, which is a win rate of 16%, or roughly 1 in every 6 rides. That is noticeably better than his overall average, suggesting there is a genuine understanding between horse and rider that translates into results.
He has not won in his last 6 races, and his recent form — finishing eighth, sixth, third, second, then sixth — tells the story of a horse still competing honestly without quite finding the winner's enclosure. He raced just a day ago, so he is very much in the thick of it. At 8 years old and 89 races deep, Gustav Graves is not flashy, but he keeps showing up, and in racing, that counts for a great deal.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolverhampton Galloping |
50 | 7 wins, 9 seconds, 3 thirds, 31 other | 6 Apr | 14.0% |
| Newcastle Galloping |
10 | 2 seconds, 2 thirds, 6 other | 11 Mar | 0% |
| Southwell Galloping |
6 | 1 second, 1 third, 4 other | 29 Jul | 0% |
| Beverley Undulating |
4 | 1 second, 3 other | 2 Sep | 0% |
| Leicester Sharp |
3 | 1 win, 2 other | 25 Sep | 33.3% |
| Hamilton Park Sharp |
3 | 1 second, 2 other | 14 Aug | 0% |
| Kempton Park Galloping |
3 | 1 second, 2 other | 12 Mar | 0% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 30 Mar | 0% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 6 Jul | 0% |
| Chepstow Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 27 May | 0% |
| Thirsk Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 14 May | 0% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 29 Jul | 0% |
| Lingfield Park Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 29 Jan | 0% |
| Great Yarmouth Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 25 Apr | 0% |
| Nottingham Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 4 Oct | 0% |
| chelmsford | 1 | 1 other | 2 May | 0% |