Newsreader

The other thing that jumps out is the ground. Newsreader has won 3 of 7 races on wet or muddy ground — that 43% win rate in testing conditions is more than double what the horse manages overall. Put those two facts together and you have a very specific profile: a horse that wants soft ground and wants Kempton Park, and when it gets both, it delivers.

The jockey connection is worth noting too. Benoit De La Sayette has been on board for 8 of Newsreader's 17 races and all three wins have come in that partnership — 3 wins from 8 rides together is a win rate of roughly 1 in 3, which is exceptional by any measure. That kind of consistency between horse and rider usually tells you something about trust and understanding built over time.

The current run of six races without a win — most recently finishing 10th, 6th, and 6th — does take some of the shine off, and the last victory came at Kempton back in November 2024, now nearly 19 months ago. Newsreader mostly races at Class 4 level, which sits comfortably in the middle of the racing pyramid, and a career of 3 wins from 17 races at that level is solid if unspectacular. The yard itself is in decent form with 8 winners this season, so the support structure is there.

Raced just yesterday and still active, the question everyone connected with this horse will be asking is straightforward: when does the next Kempton entry come up on a soft day? Because the evidence suggests that combination is about as reliable a recipe for a win as this sport offers.