Hatos

His most recent victory came at Wincanton on 17 February 2024—more than two and a half years ago now—which makes his current form a concern. In his last six races, he has finished in the money twice but not crossed the line first. He is actively racing nonetheless; he ran just a day ago and has proven durable enough to rack up eleven placed finishes alongside those three wins, suggesting he is a genuine competitor even when not firing on all cylinders. The puzzle for Tizzard's yard is finding the right opportunity: Hatos performs best at distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, and he does far better in lower-grade Class 4 races, where he has won 2 of 12 attempts. His partnership with jockey Brendan Powell has not yielded a victory in eight rides together, suggesting the two may not click in the way the horse needs.

The encouraging detail, at least for those following his career, is that his trainer clearly believes better days lie ahead. Tizzard described him as "a lovely straightforward horse" who showed real grit in his early seasons and is still thought capable of becoming "a really nice two-mile heavy-ground chaser in the future." For now, that future hangs on weather. When the rain comes and the ground gets heavy, Hatos will have his chance to remind the yard why they keep running him.