Matty's Getaway

The horse showed early promise at Doncaster on November 28th last year, where jockey Ciaran Gethings gave him a perfectly judged ride, pushing him along the home straight and watching him finish strongly through the mud. His joint-trainers, Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls, were keen on that ground — they had been watching him closely before that race, noting that he'd previously got stuck in the going at the same Chepstow track. What makes his record at Class 4 level more striking is that he's won just once from three tries at that grade, suggesting he might be a horse who shines against slightly weaker opposition or thrives under specific conditions. His mark of 125 currently looks fair for his ability, and the yard is in sparkling form this season with 31 winners already sent out. For now, the plan is to give him a break until spring — soft, wet ground isn't his friend, and there's no point running a nice horse into conditions that will work against him.