The magic ingredient for Major Fortune is wet, muddy ground. Put him on a testing surface and he becomes a different proposition entirely: he has won half of his four races on very wet or muddy terrain. His trainer Dan Skelton, based at Alcester and running one of the most successful yards in the country with 198 winners already this season, has clearly learned this lesson. After a run at Cheltenham on his comeback, Skelton was keen to get him back to slower ground—ideally at Haydock on a day when conditions favour the gutsy stayers. Major Fortune should eventually win races beyond three miles, Skelton believes, which opens up longer-distance opportunities.
Here's where it gets interesting: paired with jockey Harry Skelton (the trainer's brother), Major Fortune becomes a genuinely potent combination. Together they have won six races from nineteen—a 32 per cent win rate—which is significantly higher than the horse's overall record. The partnership clearly works. After a recent winning streak, Harry Skelton was effusive about the horse's improvement, noting that not many horses win five races in a row and crediting both his brother's placement strategy and the stable's patience. The fact that Major Fortune keeps getting better at eight years old, and that Skelton is confident he hasn't found his ceiling yet, suggests there are more wins to come—especially if the weather turns foul and he gets back to the ground that suits him.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester Sharp |
3 | 2 seconds, 1 other | 6 Mar | 0% |
| Lingfield Park Sharp |
2 | 2 wins | 5 Mar | 100% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 4 Apr | 50% |
| Cheltenham Galloping |
2 | 2 other | 25 Oct | 0% |
| Newbury Galloping |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 17 Feb | 0% |
| hereford | 1 | 1 win | 15 Jan | 100% |
| Market Rasen Sharp |
1 | 1 win | 26 Dec | 100% |
| Newton Abbot Sharp |
1 | 1 win | 30 Oct | 100% |
| Wincanton Galloping |
1 | 1 win | 15 Jan | 100% |
| Uttoxeter Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 28 Oct | 0% |
| Huntingdon Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 30 Jan | 0% |
| Warwick Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 21 Feb | 0% |
| Ayr Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 20 Apr | 0% |
| Taunton Undulating |
1 | 1 second | 3 Mar | 0% |
| Chepstow Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 27 Dec | 0% |
| Sandown Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 1 Feb | 0% |
| Perth Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 15 Oct | 0% |
| Exeter Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 10 Nov | 0% |
| Bangor-on-Dee Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 4 Oct | 0% |
| Ludlow Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 21 Nov | 0% |
| Plumpton Sharp |
1 | 1 third | 20 Apr | 0% |