Juan Les Pins

He is trained by Michael Appleby at Oakham in Rutland, a yard that has sent out 71 winners already this season, so Juan Les Pins is part of a serious, well-drilled operation. Appleby has spoken warmly about him — the horse was actually bought out of a sale at Redcar in 2022 by his owner from trainer Ed Dunlop, so Appleby himself admits he cannot take full credit for spotting him. What he can take credit for is the transformation: the horse arrived on a rating of 72 and climbed all the way to 93, winning three races in a row along the way. A third-place finish in the Ayr Gold Cup — one of the most competitive sprints of the British season — confirmed he genuinely belongs at a decent level. Appleby felt he still had more to give.

The most striking number in Juan Les Pins's record is what happens when the ground dries out. On fast, dry ground he has won 4 races from just 12 attempts — that is a win rate of 33%, or roughly 1 in every 3. Compare that to his overall record and it becomes obvious: this is a horse built for summer. His last win came at Thirsk in April 2026, and he raced just one day ago, so he is fit, active, and still in the mix.

His most regular partner is jockey Alistair Rawlinson, who has been aboard for 21 of his races and ridden 2 of his 7 wins — a win rate of around 10% together. The one area where Juan Les Pins has not yet delivered is at Class 2 level, the upper tier of British racing: 0 wins from 17 attempts there. He keeps showing up in those races, which tells you the team believes he is good enough — he just has not quite cracked them yet. At nine years old, with a big race on his CV and winners still coming, there is no obvious reason to stop trying.