King Of Charm

His first win came at Wolverhampton in September 2023, and his most recent at Sandown Park in August 2024 — two very different tracks, which at least suggests he is not entirely one-dimensional. But that Sandown win is now nearly 19 months in the past, and his last six races have produced finishing positions of 5th, 9th, 8th, 8th, 10th and 6th. That is a horse running consistently in the lower half of the field, without much sign of the spark returning.

He competes most often at Class 4 level, which sits in the middle of the British racing ladder — not the glamour end, but not the bottom either. At that level he has managed 1 win from 9 races, a rate of roughly 1 in 9, which is about what his overall record would suggest. He is not being overfaced, but he is not dominating his grade either.

His regular jockey is Darragh Keenan, who has ridden him eight times without managing a win together — 0 from 8 is a run of bad luck that will not escape notice in the yard. That said, the partnership has stayed intact, which perhaps speaks to consistency of effort even without the results to show for it. His trainer, Martin Dunne, operates out of Newmarket and has had a productive season with 20 winners, so the yard is clearly functioning well. King Of Charm just has not been his flag-bearer.

At five years old he still has time to find his way back to the winner's enclosure, but the recent form makes that feel like more of a hope than a prediction. For now he is the kind of horse that keeps turning up, keeps trying, and keeps making his the yard wonder when — or whether — the good days are coming back.