Newtown Duke

The horse shows genuine signs of life at the one-mile-one to one-mile-two distance, where he has won once from six races — a 17 per cent win rate that stands out against his overall record. Ian Williams' Portway yard has run the horse consistently through 2024 and into 2025, and the trainer continues to place him regularly. His recent form reads 8-4-3-3-1-4 across his last six outings, a sequence that shows a placed horse more often than not but with little firepower at the finish. He raced just a day ago, so he remains an active prospect in the yard's hands.

What holds Newtown Duke back is his complete lack of success in Class 4 races — the mid-range contests that should suit a horse of his experience and profile. Three runs at that level, no wins. When he steps up to better company, the gaps widen. Yet his trainer keeps sending him out, suggesting there is something to work with: a horse who can place regularly, who suits a specific distance, and who has already proved he can win. At five years old and still in training with a prolific yard, Newtown Duke remains a work in progress rather than a finished article.