Old Harrovian

Over his career, Old Harrovian has won three races from twelve outings, a win rate of roughly one in four, but those statistics mask a horse whose form has been inconsistent. His last six races tell a story of a horse beginning to find his feet again: sixth place most recently, then third, second, first (that Newcastle win), second, and second. That cluster of placed efforts either side of his latest victory suggests he is competitive at his level and trending in the right direction after a long quiet spell.

What makes Old Harrovian interesting is where he thrives. On normal ground conditions, he is a different proposition entirely — he has won three of his five races (60%) when the going is standard, showing he does not need the extremes. Better still, stretch him out to a distance between one mile six furlongs and two miles, and he is remarkably effective: two wins from three attempts (67%). The problem is that Class 2 racing has not been kind to him — just one win from five races at that level (20%) — but he is trained by Andrew Balding at Kingsclere, a yard that has already sent out 202 winners this season and clearly knows how to keep horses competitive. At seven years old, Old Harrovian may not have many seasons left to deliver on his obvious ability, but that January win proves he is still capable of it.