Imperial Bede

What makes Imperial Bede interesting is his relationship with his rider Jonjo O'Neill Jr, who has found considerably more success with him than the horse manages overall. Together they have won 3 of 19 races—a 16 percent win rate—which is notably better than Imperial Bede's career-wide 11 percent win rate. It hints that the horse runs better for O'Neill's handling, which is the sort of small edge that keeps a horse in training at a competitive yard like the O'Neills', based at Cheltenham. The yard itself is in strong form, having sent out 51 winners already this season.

Imperial Bede performs noticeably better over the longer trips. When running at distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, he has won 1 of 4 races—a 25 percent win rate—compared to his overall average. Most of his victories have come at Class 4 level, where he has won 2 of 12 races. At eight years old and without a win in eight months, he is hardly a horse to get excited about, but he remains active and occasionally capable. If O'Neill Jr gets the call for his next outing, it might be worth paying attention.