Hedonista

The best version of Hedonista comes out over longer trips — between a mile and six furlongs and two miles. At those distances, the record reads 2 wins from 15 races, which works out at roughly 1 in every 7 or 8, and that's meaningfully better than the overall career average. Stretch the race out and give Hedonista something to get stuck into, and the chances improve noticeably. The last win came at Kempton Park back in September 2023, which is now 31 months ago — a long time without a victory, and something the team will be very aware of heading into this run.

Hedonista typically runs at Class 5, the everyday bread-and-butter level of British racing, and has won 1 from 9 at that level — around 1 in every 9 races. The recent run of form, going back six races, reads 4th, 5th, 7th, 7th, 3rd, 6th — some near-misses in there, but also a handful of disappointing efforts. The 3rd place is a reminder that competitive form is still possible; the pair of 7ths suggest inconsistency is part of the picture.

The trainer, Bernard Llewellyn, operates a small yard out of Fochriw in Mid Glamorgan and has sent out 8 winners already this season — a solid return for an operation of that size. A trainer who is finding winners regularly tends to have horses in good order, which is worth noting as Hedonista returns from this short break. Whether the rest has freshened things up or whether 31 months without a win is simply the story now, the next few races should give a clearer answer.