Pons Aelius

The most interesting number in his record is this: two wins from just three races at Wolverhampton. That is an extraordinary hit rate for any horse at any track, and it suggests something about the place genuinely suits him — whether the surface, the shape of the bends, or simply the distances on offer. His biggest win came at Kempton Park in December 2022, a Class 2 race, which is one of the better prizes in British racing. That kind of performance puts him well above the ordinary, and his career earnings reflect a horse who has competed at a decent level.

Fast, dry ground also brings out the best in him. On those conditions he has won 3 of his 10 races — 30%, or almost 1 in every 3 — compared to just 1 win from 14 races at his most common level of competition. That contrast is striking. Put him on a quick surface and he becomes a different animal. Franny Norton has ridden him 16 times, winning twice together, which is a meaningful partnership for a horse who has had plenty of different riders through the door.

The honest part of the picture is that his last six finishes read 12-11-8-10-17-12, and his most recent win came at Beverley in August 2024 — now 22 months ago. A horse who once won Class 2 races is currently finding it hard to win at Class 4 level, the bread-and-butter tier of the sport, with only 1 win from 14 races there. He raced just yesterday, so he is still very much active, and he is trained by H D McGuigan in Letterkenny, County Donegal — a small yard that has sent out two winners this season. Pons Aelius is the kind of horse a yard like that builds around: tough, experienced, and on his day, capable of surprising people.