Hatos

The overall career picture is more modest — 3 wins and 10 places from 27 races, which works out at roughly 1 win in every 9 outings. Hatos competes mainly at Class 4 level, one of the mid-tier grades of British racing, and has won 2 of 12 races at that level. The last victory came at Wincanton in February 2024, now over two years ago, and the last six races have produced a third place and a second place among the finishes, but no win. The horse is clearly still competitive — placing in four of its last six outings suggests it is not out of its depth — but it has not quite managed to get its nose in front.

Trained by Joe Tizzard at his yard in Milborne Port, Dorset — a team that has sent out 54 winners this season, suggesting a yard in solid form — Hatos has been most regularly partnered by jockey Brendan Powell. That combination has produced seven races together without a win yet, which is the kind of stat that will change the moment conditions fall right. Hatos first won at Chepstow back in January 2022, a month that typically brings exactly the kind of wet, muddy ground this horse thrives on.

The story of Hatos is really the story of patience and conditions. On fast or normal ground, it is a very different proposition. But when rain has been falling and the track is cut up and heavy, this horse has answered the question almost every single time it has been asked. Keep an eye on the weather forecast — and keep an eye on Hatos.