Profiteer

Tim Easterby's yard at Great Habton in North Yorkshire has had a strong season—128 winners sent out already—and Profiteer is part of that working machinery. The horse raced just a day ago, suggesting he is being kept active and sound enough for regular competition. His most recent run came back with a distant ninth, and his last six outings have all ended out of the places, which is a dry spell. His only win in the past year came at Pontefract on 21 October 2024, now nearly two years ago.

The interesting part of Profiteer's profile is his affinity for wet ground. On soft or muddy terrain, he is a different proposition entirely: 2 wins from 6 races (33%), which is three times his overall win rate. He also shows a marked preference for distances between seven furlongs and a mile, winning 1 of every 4 races at those lengths. The picture that emerges is of a horse who needs the ground to soften and the right trip to show his best form. When he gets both, he becomes competitive. When he doesn't, he drifts backwards into the field. His regular jockey David Allan has ridden him 16 times but has only steered him to one win, so there is no particular magic in that partnership either. For now, Profiteer remains a horse to watch at smaller tracks when conditions turn in his favour—a type that English racing always has room for.