Imperial Alex

The most striking thing about Imperial Alex is what he does at Uttoxeter. He has won 2 of his 6 races there, which sounds modest until you realise how rare it is for any horse to build that kind of dominance at a specific track. Some horses simply suit certain bends, certain ground, certain layouts — and Uttoxeter appears to bring the best out of this one. His most recent win came there just this week, on 28 June 2026, and he also won a Class 2 race at the same track back in May 2024. A Class 2 race is one of the top contests in British racing, so that result is a genuine marker of quality — it shows he is capable of stepping up when it matters.

The one puzzle in his profile is his record at Class 3 level: zero wins from 7 races. It is a curious pattern. He has beaten better horses in a Class 2, yet at the level just below that he has not converted once. Racing can be strange like that — the draw, the trip, the specific field on the day all play their part.

Tom Lacey's yard at Woolhope in Herefordshire has been in excellent form this season, sending out 37 winners, so Imperial Alex is operating within a stable that clearly knows what it is doing. Jockey Stan Sheppard has been the regular partner, riding him in 19 of his races and winning 4 of them — roughly 1 in every 5 rides together. Their partnership appears to be the settled combination, and given that Imperial Alex just won this week with recent form reading 1-1-2 from his last three outings, he is clearly in the form of his life right now.