What stands out is Never So Brave's fondness for fast, dry ground. When the going is firm or good to firm, the horse wins roughly half the time—3 victories from 6 races on those conditions. That's the kind of ground preference that shapes race planning, and trainer Andrew Balding, who trains from Kingsclere in Hampshire, will be keeping a close eye on the forecast before each entry. Balding's yard has already sent out 202 winners this season, so Never So Brave is part of a powerful operation in form.
Ascot has been particularly good to this horse: two wins from five races there shows a real affinity for the track. The recent victories have come at the highest level—Class 1 races, where the best horses in the country compete—which tells you Never So Brave belongs in that conversation. The last six races show a mixed picture (1-6-5-6-2-5, most recent first), but that recent win at Newmarket proves the horse is still fired up and capable of beating the best. At five years old, Never So Brave is in the prime years of a racing career, and if the ground stays in its favour, this could be a horse worth following closely.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascot Galloping |
5 | 2 wins, 3 other | 18 Oct | 40% |
| Chester Tight |
3 | 1 win, 1 second, 1 other | 31 May | 33.3% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
2 | 1 win, 1 second | 9 Oct | 50% |
| York Galloping |
2 | 1 win, 1 second | 27 Jun | 50% |
| Thirsk Galloping |
1 | 1 win | 20 Apr | 100% |
| Sandown Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 24 Apr | 0% |
| Newbury Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 15 Aug | 0% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 12 Sep | 0% |
| Goodwood Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 29 Jul | 0% |
| chelmsford | 1 | 1 second | 22 Aug | 0% |
| Epsom Downs Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 6 Jun | 0% |
| Nottingham Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 21 Jul | 0% |