Hold Your Fort

The recent form tells an interesting story of a horse still competitive at ten years old. Two wins in the last six races — including one just this week at Uttoxeter on 26 July — shows that Hold Your Fort is not a fading veteran coasting on past glories. When James Best is in the saddle, things tend to go better; the partnership has a 36% win rate together (5 wins from 14 races), suggesting a real understanding between jockey and horse. Trainer Debra Hamer's Nantycaws yard in Carmarthenshire has had a modest season with three winners, but Hold Your Fort remains one of the yard's most reliable earners, particularly in the Class 3 races that suit its level — it has won one-third of its races at that grade (3 from 9).

At its best, usually at Newton Abbot and on familiar ground, Hold Your Fort performs like a horse with genuine class. Elsewhere, the returns are more patchy, which explains why career earnings of around £74,000 reflect a horse of consistent but unglamorous value — the kind that keeps itself and its the yard in funds without ever threatening to make headlines. But for anyone watching at Carmarthenshire's smaller tracks, Hold Your Fort remains a fixture worth following.