Moon D'Orange
Moon D'Orange's win at Cheltenham in January looks like the rare moment when everything finally clicked. The eight-year-old has won just three races from 31 starts—a respectable 1 in 10—but this particular victory at one of Britain's top racecourses matters because it shows what happens when a horse finds the right setup. Jockey
Callum Pritchard described it as fantastic after Moon D'Orange's previous couple of runs had disappointed, and trainer
Sean Bowen was frank about the horse's quirks: it dislikes being hurried early, prefers daylight and room, and needs patience rather than pressure. At Cheltenham, with first-time visors fitted, Moon D'Orange jumped well, travelled with ease, and held his position throughout—until a mistake at the final jump nearly cost him, but he was tough enough to recover and win anyway.
Based on TrackLab's analysis
Owner
Ian Stuart Griffiths Gary Evans
📊 Key numbers
Career totals for this horse
🔍 Full analysis
Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
The horse's record at top-level races (1 win from 9 Class 1 attempts, or just over 11%) suggests it belongs in this company, even if opportunities are rare. Moon D'Orange was five years old when it won its first race at Cartmel in May 2023, and now at eight it is still competitive, racing as recently as yesterday. What makes this horse interesting is not consistent brilliance but the possibility that Christian Williams's yard—which has sent out 25 winners this season from Ogmore-By-Sea in Glamorgan—has finally learned how to get the best from it. The jockey and trainer agree that Moon D'Orange is a three-miler who needs time to settle into his rhythm, and that when given space and not hustled early, he can produce something special. After 20 months without a win, the Cheltenham victory suggests the yard is determined to find races that suit its temperament, rather than hoping he'll adapt to being ridden one way. That changes the shape of his career from a horse that mostly finishes in the places to one with a genuine ceiling.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on soft ground: 1 wins from 6 starts (17%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on yielding_to_soft ground: 0 wins from 4 starts
⚠ Poor record on good_to_yielding ground: 0 wins from 3 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Good (a little give)
Likes
Good to soft (some give)
Likes
Yielding to soft (damp)
Avoids
Good to yielding (mild give)
Avoids
📏 Race distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Likes
🏅 Race level
Class 2 (high-level)
Avoids
Class 3 (mid-level)
Unknown
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, long straights
Ok
Right-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, tight
Unknown
Right-handed, tight
Unknown
Left-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Right-handed, hilly
Avoids
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
25 Sep
7th
Worcester
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 9 runners
9 May
15th
Haydock Park
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 15 runners
15 Apr
7th
Haydock Park
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 11 runners
10 Mar
3rd
Cheltenham
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 23 runners
10 Mar
3rd
Cheltenham
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 23 runners
2 Mar
10th
Leopardstown
Long Distance (2m+) · Yielding_To_Soft · 16 runners
28 Feb
DNF
Newbury
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 14 runners
31 Jan
7th
Musselburgh
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 8 runners
24 Jan
6th
Cheltenham
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 11 runners
1 Jan
5th
Cheltenham
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 9 runners
🏇 Jockeys
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
🏟 Course record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|
| Cheltenham Galloping |
12 |
1 win, 4 thirds, 7 other |
10 Mar |
8.3% |
| Newbury Galloping |
3 |
1 second, 2 other |
28 Feb |
0% |
| Thurles Undulating |
2 |
1 second, 1 third |
16 Oct |
0% |
| Leopardstown Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
2 Mar |
0% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
2 |
2 other |
9 May |
0% |
| Punchestown Galloping |
2 |
1 third, 1 other |
2 May |
0% |
| Cartmel Tight |
1 |
1 win |
27 May |
100% |
| Market Rasen Sharp |
1 |
1 win |
6 Feb |
100% |
| Worcester Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
25 Sep |
0% |
| Carlisle Undulating |
1 |
1 second |
5 Nov |
0% |
| Galway Tight |
1 |
1 other |
29 Oct |
0% |
| Listowel Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
27 Sep |
0% |
| Musselburgh Sharp |
1 |
1 other |
31 Jan |
0% |
| Cork Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
15 Oct |
0% |