He raced just yesterday, so the team is clearly active with him, and he comes from one of the more productive yards in training right now. Jonjo and A J O'Neill, based near Cheltenham, have sent out 51 winners already this season — that is a busy, confident operation, and they do not run horses without purpose. Crucially, the trainer has spoken openly about believing there is more to come. The view from the yard is that Jack To Bat ran well on his first try over hurdles at Ffos Las — and that performance has since been backed up by the horses he ran against going on to win themselves, which is a good sign. His next couple of outings did not match that level, but the team believe the switch to racing over fences this season is the key. Fences suit a different kind of horse to hurdles, and plenty of animals find their best form when they make that change.
His bread and butter has been Class 4 races — the middle tier of the sport, where solid but unspectacular horses tend to operate — and he has yet to win in four attempts at that level. If the trainer is right and fences unlock something new in him, that could change quickly. For now, Jack To Bat is a horse whose record reads worse than his potential might suggest — and with an active yard behind him and a new challenge ahead, the next few months will be telling.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ffos Las Galloping |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 6 Apr | 0% |
| Chepstow Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 21 Feb | 0% |
| Wetherby Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 17 Mar | 0% |
| Worcester Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 6 Jun | 0% |
| Warwick Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 24 Apr | 0% |