Previous

The form figures tell the story neatly: 3-1-2-1, read from most recent backwards. Two wins, a second, and a third. Previous broke its duck at Newcastle in late June 2025, then went back out and won again at Southwell in early October — 2 wins from 4 races, a win rate of 50%, or roughly one in every two times it runs. At the level it has been competing at, Previous has won 2 of its 3 races, a remarkable 67% success rate that works out at two wins for every three attempts. That is not a horse scraping by — that is a horse that belongs at that level and then some.

Now comes the interesting part. Previous hasn't raced in roughly four months, returning from a break that takes it through the winter. A layoff like that always raises questions — whether a horse comes back as sharp as it left, whether the trainer has managed the return well. On that second point, there is real reason for confidence. Kevin Philippart De Foy, based in Newmarket, has sent out 43 winners already this season, which marks his yard out as one in genuinely good form. A trainer firing at that rate tends to know what he's doing when he sends a horse back out after a break.

The one question mark is whether Previous has more to offer at a higher level. It has done its winning in Class 5 company — solid, competitive races, but not the top tier. With a record this clean, it would be no surprise to see the yard test it somewhere a little more demanding before long. For now, though, it returns as a horse that has never finished out of the places in its life, trained by a yard that is very much firing. That is not a bad combination to be watching.