Kirkdale

Kirkdale broke through at Catterick Bridge in early October 2024, and has since added victories at Southwell — most recently in April 2026, though that was five months ago. Since then he has picked up two second-place finishes and two fourths in his last six runs, including a recent outing just a day ago. He typically runs in Class 5 company, where he has won just once from nine attempts, which tells you he is competing at a level where one win in every nine races is about right for him. He is trained by Edward Bethell at Middleham in North Yorkshire, a yard that has produced 61 winners this season alone, so he is in a setup with genuine form and resource.

The encouraging sign is that Kirkdale is still active and clearly sound. His recent form shows consistency rather than dominance, but that Rodriguez pairing remains the most intriguing detail — if the jockey is booked again, he could be one worth following.