Mereside Madness

The real insight into this horse lies in its preferences. On normal ground conditions, Mereside Madness is noticeably better, winning three of fourteen races on such ground — a 21% win rate that stands well above its overall record. More striking still is its dominance at Newcastle, where it has won three of its nine races at that track. This is the kind of course speciality that makes trainers and jockeys circle Newcastle on the calendar, knowing they have a genuine weapon there. Scott Dixon's Rolleston yard has clearly identified Newcastle as Mereside Madness's best stage, and it has repaid that faith. The horse prefers Class 5 company — the lower end of the racing pyramid — where it wins roughly one in every five races.

Recent form tells a harder story. Mereside Madness has not won in its last six races, with finishes that read as 5-10-9-8-10, suggesting it is competing without success at present. Callum Rodriguez has been its most regular pilot, riding the horse six times for a single win, a 17% win rate that is broadly in line with the horse's overall record. With fourteen months since its last victory, Mereside Madness is in need of a return to form — ideally back on normal ground and ideally back at Newcastle, where conditions have proven most favourable.