Hammer The Hammer

The partnership with jockey Tom Eaves is one of the most striking details in its record. Together they have won 3 of their 7 races — that's 43%, meaning when these two are paired up, nearly half the time they end up in the winner's enclosure. That kind of chemistry between horse and rider is rarer than it sounds, and it is no coincidence that Ryan keeps going back to Eaves for this one.

Southwell is where Hammer The Hammer genuinely thrives. Two wins from just three visits to the Nottinghamshire track is the mark of a horse that takes to the place like a duck to water — 2 from 3 at any single course is the kind of record that makes trainers plan their season around it. The first of those wins came on 11 March 2025, and the most recent victory was at Chester on 7 May 2025, suggesting this horse had a productive spring campaign.

The trickier side of the story is what happens when Ryan steps it up in class. In four races at Class 2 level — the sharper end of the sport — Hammer The Hammer is yet to win, going 0 from 4. That doesn't mean it can't get there, but it does suggest the horse is at its most dangerous when dropped back into slightly easier company rather than asked to beat the very best. The last six results — a second place followed by a string of mid-field finishes — tell a similar story: competitive enough to threaten, but not quite firing at the highest level right now.

With 45 winners already on the board this season, Ryan's yard is in fine form, and Hammer The Hammer raced just yesterday, so it is very much part of the current picture. If Eaves is back in the saddle and Ryan aims it somewhere it can dominate rather than survive, another win may not be far away.