Kitaab

Both victories came on normal ground, in short, sharp sprints of between five and six-and-a-half furlongs. In those conditions, he has won 2 from 18 races, a win rate of roughly 11% — not eye-catching, but meaningful. It suggests Kitaab is not a horse for all weathers or all distances; he is a specialist, and when the pieces fall into place, he delivers. His first win came at Southwell in February 2024, and he followed it up at Newcastle in October the same year — two wins in eight months, which briefly made him look like a horse hitting his stride.

Since then, however, the wins have dried up. It has been over a year and a half since Newcastle, and his last six runs have produced nothing better than a fourth place. His most regular partner, jockey Cam Hardie, has ridden him nine times without a win — nine chances, no reward, which is a tough run for any partnership. That said, Kitaab has placed 13 times in his career, meaning he is often close enough to be frustrating rather than irrelevant.

Kirby's yard is in decent form this season — 36 winners sent out is a healthy tally for a regional trainer — so it is not as if Kitaab is operating in a struggling operation. He raced just yesterday, which tells you the team still believes there is something to find with him. Class 5 races, the bread-and-butter level of British racing, are his home: 1 win from 12 outings at that level. He is not a horse built for big occasions, but he is a dependable competitor who covers a lot of ground for the yard — the sort of horse every yard needs. Whether another win is coming is the question everyone around him is still trying to answer.