Havana Prince

The key to unlocking the best of Havana Prince is knowing where and when to find him. He is a course specialist at Newcastle, with 2 wins from 6 races there, and that is where he landed his most recent victory just eight weeks ago in late March. It is also where his career began, with his first win coming at the same track back in September 2023. Some horses simply take to a particular venue — the track layout, the way it rides — and Newcastle is clearly Havana Prince's happy hunting ground. Normal ground conditions suit him well too: 5 wins from 13 races on a standard surface, a win rate of 38%, compared to a much patchier record when conditions change.

His partnership with jockey David Nolan is another thread worth following. In 13 races together they have won 4 times — that is nearly 1 in every 3, a notably better return than his overall record. When Nolan is booked and the race is at Newcastle on normal ground over a mile and a couple of furlongs, the planets are aligning.

The one puzzle in the profile is his record at Class 4 level, which represents his most common level of competition: 0 wins from 9 races there. All 7 of his victories have come at other levels, which suggests he finds his groove slightly outside the bracket he most often finds himself in. The yard has sent out 12 winners already this season, so the team are in good form. With Havana Prince having raced as recently as yesterday and clearly still in active training, another tilt at Newcastle — ideally with Nolan aboard on a dry summer's day — looks like the combination most likely to add an eighth win to the tally.