Hickory

The standout moment came at Ascot on 10 May 2025, when Hickory won a Class 2 race — one of the better races you can win in British racing. Ascot is the sport's most famous stage, and landing a top-level prize there is not something most horses ever manage. It sits alongside his earlier win at the same track in September 2025, meaning he has genuinely performed when the occasion demanded it.

If you want to find Hickory at his very best, put him on wet or muddy ground. In those conditions he has won 2 races from just 6 attempts — that is a win rate of 33%, or roughly 1 in every 3 races. For comparison, his record in the Class 3 events he usually competes in is just 1 win from 13 races, or about 1 in 13. The difference is stark. When the ground gets soft and the field starts to struggle, Hickory finds another gear.

He also has a clear love affair with Kempton Park, where he has won 2 of his 5 races. That kind of record at a specific track often means a horse simply suits the shape of the course — and trainers and jockeys learn to trust it. Kempton is where his career began, with that first win in October 2022, and he has kept coming back to deliver there since.

The partnership between Hickory and jockey Saffie Osborne is worth noting — they have won 2 of their 14 races together, which works out at roughly 1 in 7. Saffie is the daughter of trainer Jamie Osborne, whose yard at Upper Lambourn has sent out 48 winners this season alone, suggesting this is a stable in sharp form. Hickory raced just yesterday, so he is firmly mid-campaign, and with soft ground and a return to Kempton always possible, the ingredients for another win are not hard to imagine.