Papa Cocktail

His record on dry, fast ground is where things get particularly interesting. From 10 races on those conditions, he has won twice — a 20% win rate, or roughly 1 in every 5 — which is meaningfully better than his overall average of around 1 in every 8. It suggests the team knows exactly what they are looking for when they enter him, and that picking the right day matters enormously with this horse.

Class 5 is his home. Five of his six career wins have come at that level, from 21 races — winning nearly 1 in 4, which is a genuinely impressive ratio. It tells you he is well placed when the yard pitch him in there rather than stretching him beyond what suits him. His most recent win came at Wolverhampton in January 2026, and his current form reads 10-2-2-6-3-1 — two seconds, two thirds, and a win in his last six runs. For a horse who raced just yesterday, that is an active, busy campaign with plenty of encouragement in it.

The partnership with Callum Shepherd is worth noting. In six races together they have won twice — that is 1 in 3, or a 33% win rate — which comfortably outstrips his overall record and suggests there is a real understanding between horse and rider. Michael Herrington's yard at Willoughton in Lincolnshire has sent out 33 winners this season alone, so this is not a small or quiet operation. Papa Cocktail sits within a stable in form, ridden by a jockey who clearly gets the best out of him, on the right ground.

He is not a horse who will ever trouble the top races, but that is not really the point. Papa Cocktail is the kind of reliable, hard-working performer that keeps a racing yard ticking over — always competitive, often placed, occasionally winning, and seemingly none the worse for a life spent racing. Forty-eight races in and he is still at it. There is something admirable about that.