Pole Star
Pole Star has quietly built a reputation as a course specialist and wet-ground warrior, the kind of horse that looks genuinely dangerous when conditions turn in its favour. The 4-year-old has won 4 of its 19 races—a win rate of roughly 1 in every 5 starts—but the numbers hide a more interesting picture. On wet ground, where many horses struggle, Pole Star has won 2 of 4 races, a 50% win rate that suggests the mud brings out something special in its running. More tellingly, it owns Haydock Park as though it lives there: 2 wins from 4 races at the track, including a Class 2 victory on 5 July that the yard's assistant saw as a breakthrough moment—a big raw horse that found its battleground and refused to yield.Based on TrackLab's analysis
Owner
Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
📊 Key numbers
Career totals for this horse
🔍 Full analysis
Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
That July win felt like arrival. Pole Star had struck for the first time at Haydock on 30 May, but the Class 2 success suggested it belonged at that level and potentially higher. The horse has tackled Class 2 racing seven times and won just once, a 14% win rate that reflects how tough that company is, but trainer Charlie Johnston, based at Middleham Moor, seems to believe there is more to come. Recent form tells a muddier story: after winning at Chester four weeks ago, Pole Star has raced six times in a run that produced a win, a place, two thirds, a fifth, and a ninth. That inconsistency is real, but the yard has form—131 winners this season—and Johnston has shown confidence that Pole Star will deliver something significant if ground and conditions align. For a horse that thrives in the mud and loves Haydock, the next muddy day and a return to Lancashire could unlock another big race.
⚡ Strengths and risks
What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on soft ground: 2 wins from 4 starts (50%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good_to_firm ground: 0 wins from 7 starts
⚠ Yet to win at Newmarket in 5 attempts
⚠ Struggles on RH Galloping tracks: 0 wins from 6 starts
🎯 Where this horse runs best
Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Good (a little give)
Likes
Good to firm (fairly firm)
Avoids
📏 Race distance
Long Distance (2M+)
Avoids
🏅 Race level
Class 3 (mid-level)
Unknown
Class 4 (standard)
Unknown
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, long straights
Likes
Left-handed, tight
Unknown
Left-handed, hilly
Unknown
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids
📅 Recent runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
10 Oct
8th
Newmarket
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 29 runners
12 Sep
🏆 Won
Chester
1m6f – 2m · Soft · 12 runners
5 Sep
3rd
Haydock Park
1m6f – 2m · Soft · 14 runners
16 Aug
3rd
Pontefract
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Firm · 6 runners
8 Aug
5th
Ascot
1m6f – 2m · Good_To_Firm · 10 runners
10 Jul
9th
Newmarket
1m6f – 2m · Good_To_Firm · 10 runners
20 Jun
11th
Ayr
1m6f – 2m · Soft · 12 runners
31 May
5th
Thirsk
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 14 runners
3 May
3rd
Newmarket
1m6f – 2m · Good_To_Firm · 12 runners
17 Apr
4th
Newbury
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 8 runners
🏇 Jockeys
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
🏟 Course record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|
| Newmarket Galloping |
5 |
1 second, 1 third, 3 other |
10 Oct |
0% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
4 |
2 wins, 1 third, 1 other |
5 Sep |
50% |
| Chester Tight |
2 |
1 win, 1 other |
12 Sep |
50% |
| Great Yarmouth Galloping |
1 |
1 win |
24 Jul |
100% |
| Newbury Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
17 Apr |
0% |
| York Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
23 Aug |
0% |
| Ayr Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
20 Jun |
0% |
| Thirsk Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
31 May |
0% |
| Pontefract Undulating |
1 |
1 third |
16 Aug |
0% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
7 Jun |
0% |
| Ascot Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
8 Aug |
0% |