Not So Sobers

That single victory came at Market Rasen in May 2024, now almost two years ago, and it remains the defining moment of a career that has otherwise been spent finishing in the middle of the pack. The recent run of form makes for fairly grim reading: six consecutive races without a win, with finishing positions of fifth, eighth, seventh, eighth, and sixth among the most recent outings, plus one run where the result is unavailable. Not So Sobers raced just yesterday, so this is very much a horse in active campaign rather than one being freshened up for a comeback.

The horse tends to be aimed at longer trips — two miles and beyond — and has won once from six races at those distances, a rate of roughly 1 in 6. That is actually the best version of Not So Sobers, even if the overall numbers are modest. The yard at Stow-on-the-Wold, run by David Killahena and Graeme McPherson, has been in decent form this season with 17 winners sent out, so the operation clearly knows how to get horses to win. Jockey Kielan Woods has the best record on board, winning 1 of their 5 races together — that is 20%, or roughly 1 in 5 — which is a notably better return than the horse's overall career average. When Woods is in the saddle and the race is over two miles, you are at least looking at the best possible version of this particular partnership.

Not So Sobers competes mostly at Class 5 level, which is the lower end of the British racing ladder — the kind of races where winnable opportunities are supposed to arise. Winning 1 from 6 at that level suggests the horse finds a way to be competitive without quite getting its nose in front. A return to Market Rasen, where the only career win came, might be the most straightforward route back to the winner's enclosure.