Hickory

Ascot is where Hickory has recently peaked. He won a Class 2 race there on 25 July 2026 — only three weeks ago — which represents the kind of top-tier victory that matters. Before that, he'd taken a Class 2 contest on 10 May 2025, showing he can hold his own against serious opposition when conditions suit. For a horse competing mostly at Class 3 level, where he wins only 1 in 13 races, this is notable progress. Yet the real pattern in his form is ground: give Hickory slow or muddy going and he becomes a different proposition, winning one in every three races on those surfaces compared to his overall average. On fast, dry ground his record is far less compelling.

His recent form suggests he remains competitive. In his last six races he has finished fifth, first, sixth, sixth, and then a well-beaten eighteenth, indicating fitful form rather than decline. Kempton Park holds another key to his profile — he has won two of his five races there, making it his course specialist. His first victory came at Kempton on 26 October 2022, and the track has remained his hunting ground ever since. Hickory is still racing actively, with his latest run just a day ago, and the Osborne yard is in good form with 48 winners this season. At eight years old, he remains useful, particularly on a wet track or back at a venue where he knows his way around.