Hooper

What is striking about Hooper is not his record but his staying power. He is ten now and was last seen racing just a day ago, which means he is still active and still trying. His recent form has been respectable without being spectacular: two fourth-place finishes in his last six runs, a second place, and a couple of fifth-place efforts. The trainer, Nigel Twiston-Davies — who runs the yard with his brother Willy from Naunton in Gloucestershire — has described him as "a great servant" and noted that he has been remarkably consistent despite not winning since 2021. That is a long drought, and yet the yard clearly still believes in him on the right ground. Hooper apparently performs best when the track is fast and dry, which narrows his opportunities in the British climate but gives him windows when he is competitive.

The most telling detail comes from his jockey's comments after what appears to have been a recent winning performance at Cheltenham. The rider praised how well Hooper travelled, how beautifully he jumped, and seemed genuinely surprised at how easily he was winning as they came down the hill — as though this horse, despite his long losing run, still had something in the tank when conditions and circumstances lined up. For a horse now in its second decade, never having tasted victory, Hooper remains the kind of runner who keeps the yard hopeful every time the ground is right and he heads to the track.