Happy And Fine

The most telling stat is what happens when the ground gets properly wet and muddy. In those conditions, Happy And Fine has won 2 from 5 races — a 40% win rate, meaning he wins roughly 2 in every 5 attempts when it's really soft underfoot. On normal or dry ground, that number drops sharply. Some horses simply come alive in the mud, and this is clearly one of them. Trainer Alex Hales, who operates out of Edgcote in Oxfordshire and has sent out 12 winners already this season, spotted early on that jumping fences was always going to suit him best. After a particularly good performance at Haydock, Hales noted that Happy And Fine "jumped brilliantly, especially out of that ground" and described him as "going the right way."

His most common jockey is Kielan Woods, and together they've won 2 of their 9 races — a win rate of 22%, which is slightly above the horse's overall average and suggests the partnership works. The bulk of Happy And Fine's racing has come at Class 3 level, one step below the top tier, where he's won just 1 from 11 — a tough division that demands consistency he hasn't always managed to produce.

What he has managed is a win as recently as New Year's Eve 2025 at Warwick, which tells you he hasn't gone backwards with age. Hales has spoken about the horse finding his feet over fences after a period where he "lost his way a bit" as a younger, weaker animal — he apparently had a strong summer at some point that changed things. The trainer's instinct now is whether to keep stepping him up in grade or continue picking his spots carefully. With wet ground, Kielan Woods in the saddle, and Alex Hales placing him well, Happy And Fine remains a horse worth watching — particularly when the forecast looks grim.