Imperial Alex

The interesting thing about Imperial Alex is his recent spike in form. After winning at Uttoxeter four weeks ago on 28 June, he has picked up two victories from his last six races — a 33% win rate over that stretch that stands notably higher than his career average. In his last run just a day ago, he finished fifth, suggesting he is still actively racing and the yard sees enough promise to keep him in work. Stan Sheppard, his regular jockey, has ridden Imperial Alex 19 times and won 4 of those races together, a 21% partnership that is close to the horse's overall record and speaks to a solid working relationship without any particular magic.

What holds Imperial Alex back is a troubling record at Class 3 level, where he has failed to win in seven attempts. For a horse with seven career wins, an inability to break through at Class 3 — which sits below the top two tiers of racing — is a ceiling. It suggests that while he can win races at the right level or in weaker fields, the step up proves too much. At nine years old and with nearly two and a half years between his first win in February 2023 and his last one last month, Imperial Alex appears to be a veteran grinding away in the mid-tier game, still capable of the occasional victory but unlikely to progress further up the ladder.