It's A Breeze

Back in November 2025, Nicholls told anyone who would listen not to write the horse off based on its uninspiring early form. He described It's A Breeze as a "backward individual" who had been slow to develop — essentially a late bloomer who needed seasons rather than months to find himself. That kind of patience is a hallmark of a good yard, and Ditcheat has the numbers to back it up: 91 winners sent out this season alone, which is a remarkable operation running at full tilt.

What's particularly interesting is the trajectory of recent form. Strip away the blank results in the middle — races where It's A Breeze was out of the picture — and what you see at either end is a horse that has been finishing second, then winning. That is not the form of a horse going backwards. At the level It's A Breeze typically competes at, that kind of improvement can come quickly once a horse clicks, and Nicholls hinted as much, suggesting a short winning run was not out of the question.

Jockey Jay Tidball has been the regular partner, riding in five of the horse's races together without a win so far. The Newton Abbot victory may well change the dynamic between horse and rider as confidence builds on both sides. At seven years old, It's A Breeze is not a young horse, but some take longer to arrive — and arriving at all, after a journey this long, is the whole point. The next few weeks will be worth watching.