Monticristo Boy

The bulk of his career has been spent in Class 6 company, which is the entry-level tier of British racing — the races where horses are finding their feet or competing at the limit of their ability. Even there, he has won just 1 from 14 races at that level, a rate of 7%. For context, that means he has lined up in Class 6 races 14 times and come away with a single victory. The seven places suggest he is not disgracing himself, but there is a gap between being competitive and being a winner, and Monticristo Boy has spent most of his career in that gap.

Jockey Faye McManoman has partnered him for 8 of his 19 races, winning once together — that November win at Newcastle. The pair have a win rate of 12%, or roughly 1 in every 8 rides, which is actually better than his overall record suggests. Trainer Peter Niven operates out of Barton-le-Street in North Yorkshire, and his yard has sent out 12 winners this season, so the stable is clearly capable of getting horses to the winner's enclosure. Whether Monticristo Boy can find his way there again is another question — he raced just yesterday, which at least confirms he is fit and active, but the form line heading into that run offered little encouragement. He is a horse who knows what the inside of the frame looks like, and the team will be hoping he can rediscover the spark that made Newcastle such a good day in the autumn of 2024.