Hillview

The highlight of his career came at Uttoxeter in June 2022, when he landed one of the top races in Britain at Class 2 level. Jockey Sean Bowen noted afterwards that Hillview "picked up well" and called him a strong stayer who likes to be ridden patiently and let his stamina do the talking. The pair have built a genuine partnership — across 14 races together, Bowen has ridden him to 5 of those wins, a win rate of 36%, or roughly 1 in every 3 rides. That kind of chemistry between horse and jockey is not something you stumble into.

The problem is that the Uttoxeter win was 49 months ago, and Hillview has not won since. His last six races have produced nothing better than a fourth place, and trainer Gary Hanmer — who operates out of Tattenhall in Cheshire and has sent out 19 winners this season — has been candid about why. A suspensory injury forced the horse off the track for a significant spell, and Hanmer admits that at his age, getting back to his best level is genuinely uncertain. He has also flagged that Hillview wants fast, dry ground to show his true colours, which adds another layer of dependence on conditions going his way.

He raced just yesterday, which means Hanmer clearly believes there is still something to work with. The Class 2 win at Uttoxeter shows the ceiling this horse has touched, and a yard in form is always a reason for mild optimism. But the honest picture is of a horse chasing a version of himself that is nearly four years in the past, trying to do it on the right ground, at the right age, after a setback that would have finished lesser animals. Whether that story has another chapter is the question. For now, Hillview keeps showing up — and there is something quietly admirable about that.