Parikarma

The numbers do light up in one area. On normal ground, at distances between a mile-and-one-furlong and a mile-and-two, Parikarma has won 2 from 7 races — that is 29%, which for a horse with this kind of overall record is a notable jump. Put it simply: get the conditions right and this horse is nearly three times more likely to win than its career average suggests. Its first win came at Brighton back in October 2022, and its most recent came at Newton Abbot in June 2024 — now 24 months ago, which is the kind of gap that makes you wonder whether another one is coming. The last six runs, showing two third-place finishes either side of four races finishing fifth or worse, suggest the horse is ticking along rather than threatening a return to the winner's enclosure.

Samuel Drinkwater trains Parikarma from a yard in Strensham, Worcestershire, and has sent out 8 winners this season — a small but active operation. Regular rider Miss Imogen Mathias has been in the saddle for 11 of Parikarma's races, winning once together, a partnership that is still searching for its second big moment. At nine years old, Parikarma is not getting any younger, but the fact it raced just yesterday shows there is no thought of retirement yet. Horses like this are the backbone of the sport — not stars, but willing, durable competitors who turn up week after week and occasionally remind everyone exactly what they can do when everything falls into place.