I Still Have Faith

The most revealing number in the record is this: 4 wins from 15 races on normal ground, a win rate of 27% — meaning it wins more than 1 in every 4 races when conditions suit. That is a striking contrast to its overall record of roughly 1 win in every 7 outings. Trainer S C Williams has been clear that the horse loves good jumping ground and struggles when conditions turn wet or the track gets more demanding. When it ran at Cheltenham on softer ground, it simply didn't get home. Put it on a fair track in the right conditions, though, and it becomes a different animal.

The last win came at Wetherby in October 2023 — now 33 months ago — and Williams had big plans at the time, eyeing up the Wensleydale Hurdle at the same track. He described the horse as a big baby, full of speed and ability, but still learning its trade. That combination of raw talent and inexperience is a tricky thing to manage, and the form since then, with six races yielding no wins and a best finish of second, suggests those plans haven't quite come together.

What gives the profile a flicker of hope is the trainer's own voice. After a bonus win at Newmarket, Williams said the Doncaster Legends race was the one they really wanted — and when the horse got company in the closing stages, it ran on again. That detail matters. A horse that responds to a challenge, that finds more when it has something to race against, is not a horse that has stopped trying. Most often ridden by Marco Ghiani, who is yet to get a win from five attempts together, the right combination of ground, track, and perhaps a fresh jockey partnership might be all it takes to end a wait that has gone on long enough.