His recent form shows the pattern clearly. In his last six races he has placed once (a second), picked up a couple of fifth-place finishes, and been out of the frame more often than not. Yet his trainer, Nigel Twiston-Davies, speaking at the yard in autumn, made an intriguing observation: Hooper has been genuinely consistent despite the long drought without a win, and could still be competitive if conditions suit him — specifically, fast, dry ground. The yard itself has been in good form this season with 62 winners, so Hooper sits within a team that knows how to get horses to the line.
What makes Hooper worth watching is that jockey Ben Ffrench Davis, who rode him at Cheltenham, was effusive after that 2021 victory. He described a horse that travelled smoothly, jumped well, and responded when asked — a horse with ability that simply needed things to fall into place. Whether those conditions ever align again remains to be seen. At ten years old, time is not on his side, but every horse that shows up to race deserves to be remembered for trying, and Hooper has done plenty of that.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton Abbot Sharp |
3 | 1 second, 1 third, 1 other | 22 Aug | 0% |
| Stratford-on-Avon Sharp |
3 | 1 second, 1 third, 1 other | 19 Jul | 0% |
| Uttoxeter Sharp |
2 | 2 thirds | 29 May | 0% |
| Newbury Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 28 Dec | 0% |
| Warwick Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 12 Dec | 0% |
| Ludlow Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 10 May | 0% |
| Cheltenham Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 21 Oct | 0% |
| Chepstow Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 9 Oct | 0% |
| Fontwell Park Tight |
1 | 1 third | 28 May | 0% |