My Friend Sean

Trained by Tom Lacey at his yard in Woolhope, Herefordshire — a stable that has sent out 37 winners already this season, so this is no small operation — My Friend Sean has built a career record of 5 wins and 8 places from 22 races, winning roughly 1 in every 4 or 5 times out. That is a genuinely solid return, and it gets even more interesting when you look at the distances he runs. Over 1 mile 6 furlongs to 2 miles, he has won 3 of his 6 races at that trip — half of them. He is a horse who knows exactly what he wants: a specific track, a specific distance, and apparently not much compromise on either.

The partnership with jockey Stan Sheppard tells a more complicated story. In 14 races together they have won just once — 1 from 14 is a tough record — though that single win came at Uttoxeter, which fits the pattern perfectly. It is worth noting that the horse's best form and Sheppard's best results tend to arrive at the same place and at the same time.

His recent form looks patchy on paper — he has not won in his last 6 races, with finishes of fourth, sixth, sixth, third, sixth and fifth — but he raced just yesterday and remains active. That third-place finish in there shows he is still competitive, and his last win came at Uttoxeter as recently as May 2025. He is not a horse in steep decline; he is a horse waiting for the right conditions to click again. His first career win also came at Uttoxeter, back in December 2024, so the track has bookended his best moments. When the fixture list brings him back there, over his preferred distance, the rest of the field would be wise to take notice.