Montregard

The headline is simple: Montregard won a Class 1 race at Ascot on 14 February 2026. That is one of the top races in Britain, and winning it at one of the country's most famous tracks puts him in rare company. It is also no fluke. He has now raced at Ascot three times and won twice — a record that makes him what racing people call a course specialist, meaning the track genuinely suits him. Some horses simply love a particular place. Ascot, with its sweeping straight and competitive fields, appears to bring out the very best in him.

His recent run of form tells the same story. In his last six races he has won three times, with two unplaced runs sandwiched in between that trainer Tom Lacey knows how to explain: after a disappointing run at Newcastle, Lacey tried cheekpieces — blinker-like equipment fitted to the sides of a horse's head to sharpen focus — at Wetherby, and Montregard responded immediately, toughing it out to win. That willingness to dig in when it matters is a genuine quality. Lacey, based at Woolhope in Herefordshire, has had a strong season with 37 winners from the yard, and Montregard is clearly one of his flag-bearers.

Most of his races have been at Class 4 level, which is mid-ranking, and he has been brilliant there — winning 5 of his 11 races at that grade, a 45% win rate. But the Ascot Class 1 win shows he can step up and compete at a higher level. Jockey Stan Sheppard has been in the saddle for most of the partnership, winning 4 of their 11 races together, and the pair clearly have an understanding.

He has not raced for 53 days — a short, deliberate break after the Ascot victory. If that run is anything to go by, when Montregard comes back fresh, the place to be is at the front watching him come home.