Prince Abu

He races at Class 6 level, which is the entry-level tier of British racing — the kind of races where horses are closely matched and winning is never easy. At that level, he has won 4 from 27 races, which is a decent enough return, and his 13 placed finishes show he is competitive far more often than his win tally alone suggests. He does not give up; he just rarely gets across the line first.

His regular jockey is Cam Hardie, who has been aboard for 25 of his 45 races and picked up 2 of those wins — a win rate of 8%, or roughly 1 in every 12 rides together. That is a long-standing partnership by any measure, and the loyalty of it says something about the way L J Morgan's yard at Waltham On The Wolds operates. Morgan has sent out 14 winners this season, so this is a functioning, active training operation — and Prince Abu has been a part of the furniture there for years.

What stands out most, though, is the gap since his last win. He won at Southwell in December 2022 — 42 months ago now — and has not managed to get back to the winner's enclosure since, despite running 6 times in his most recent spell without better than a fourth place. He raced just yesterday, so he is clearly still in the thick of things. The conditions, the track, and the draw will need to fall just right. But when they do, history says Southwell in the mud is where Prince Abu saves his best.