Montassib

Across 24 races in total, this eight-year-old has won 7 and finished placed a further 9 times — that is wins in roughly 3 out of every 10 races, which is a very healthy record at the level he competes. And the level matters here. Five of his seven wins have come in Class 1 or Class 2 races, meaning the very top tier of British racing. A win at Doncaster in March 2024, back-to-back Class 1 victories at Newcastle and Haydock in the summer of 2024 — this is not a horse picking up easy prizes. He has beaten good horses on big days.

His partnership with jockey Cieren Fallon tells a similar story. In 14 races together they have won 5, which works out at 36% — wins in more than 1 in every 3 races as a pair. That is a meaningful bond. Fallon clearly understands how to get the best from him, and the numbers suggest the feeling is mutual.

Montassib is trained by William Haggas, whose Newmarket yard has sent out 170 winners already this season — one of the most powerful operations in British racing. Horses do not end up there by accident, and they do not stay there unless they are doing something right.

The honest caveat is that Montassib has not won in his last six races, with his most recent victory coming at Haydock in September 2024 — now 21 months ago. His recent form reads 5-4-5-7-3-5, which is patchy rather than dire, and he raced just yesterday so the team clearly believes there is still something to aim for. At eight years old, the question is whether conditions align in his favour often enough. But when they do — when the rain falls and the ground turns soft — Montassib becomes a different animal entirely.