Heathen

The seven-year-old has won 5 of his 28 races — roughly 1 in every 5.5 — and has earned places in 14 of those starts overall. That tells you he is consistently competitive without always getting over the line. His best results come over distances of a mile and six furlongs up to two miles, where he has won 5 from 17 races (29%), and he really comes alive on normal, standard ground — again, 4 wins from 14 races at 29%. The pattern is clear: get the conditions right and Heathen shows up.

Nowhere are the conditions more reliably right than Wolverhampton. He has won 2 of his 3 races there, which is a remarkable record at any track. The most recent of those came in February 2025, when jockey Jason Watson noted afterwards that Heathen travels beautifully into a race even when things turn scrappy and fast — not a given for a horse over staying distances. Watson also mentioned that Heathen can be delicate to manage, which adds some context to why trainer David O'Meara (who has handled day-to-day training duties) gets particular credit from those around the horse.

Candlish herself has spoken about Heathen being a horse who responds well to time off and arrives fresh for his campaigns, particularly through the winter all-weather season. That makes his recent run of six races without a win worth watching carefully rather than worrying about — he has been busy, and a freshened-up Heathen has form to suggest he can find a race. Her yard has sent out 61 winners this season alone, so there is plenty of confidence behind him.

He raced just one day ago and is currently active. At Class 4 level — solid, competitive races without being the very top tier — he has won 2 from 10 (20%). He is not a superstar, but for a horse with the breeding of a champion who decided he preferred floodlit all-weather tracks in the Midlands, Heathen is quietly one of the more interesting characters in training.