The recent record makes for sobering reading. Looking at the last six runs — seventh, sixth, a blank, sixth, ninth, and a third — there is a horse that occasionally threatens but more often than not ends up in mid-pack. That third place is the closest Havana Joy has come to something to shout about, and it feels like a lonely bright spot in an otherwise frustrating sequence.
Jockey Jason Watson has had six attempts to unlock a win aboard Havana Joy and has not managed it yet. That is not necessarily a reflection on Watson, who is an experienced rider, but the partnership simply has not clicked in the way the yard would hope. Charles Hills, the Lambourn trainer responsible for the horse, is having a solid season with 29 winners on the board — so the yard clearly knows how to get horses winning. Havana Joy just has not been one of them.
The horse has spent most of its career competing at Class 5 level, which is towards the lower end of British racing. These are the races where horses like Havana Joy are supposed to be competitive, and yet zero wins from six attempts at that level is a difficult stat to look past. At some point, the team will need to weigh up whether there is a race out there that suits this horse, or whether the wins simply are not coming. Still only four, there is time — but the clock is ticking.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolverhampton Galloping |
3 | 2 seconds, 1 other | 21 Apr | 0% |
| Lingfield Park Sharp |
3 | 1 third, 2 other | 28 Feb | 0% |
| Kempton Park Galloping |
3 | 2 thirds, 1 other | 19 Nov | 0% |
| Brighton Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 29 May | 0% |