Rare Change

The breakthrough came at Windsor in May 2025, and from there things clicked. The most significant moment, though, was a win at Goodwood just five weeks ago — a result that felt genuinely important. Jockey Hector Crouch said afterwards that Rare Change had needed to step up that day, competing in a notably stronger grade than usual, and it delivered. "We were markedly up in grade but did it really well," he said. That kind of performance — rising to the occasion when the race demands more — is exactly what separates the ones with a future from the ones who plateau.

The dry ground angle is worth paying attention to. On fast, dry ground, Rare Change has won 2 from 5 races — a 40% win rate, which is exceptional. That is the sort of number that should make anyone watching the weather forecast sit up. On other surfaces the record is far more ordinary, so conditions are not a minor detail here; they are probably the single biggest factor in whether this horse runs well.

The one cloud on the horizon is its record at the top level. In 6 races at Class 2 — one of the highest grades in British racing — Rare Change has yet to win. Six attempts, six defeats. That is not a crisis at four years old, but it is a question the team will need to answer. Its most regular partner, Finley Marsh, has ridden it 8 times for just 1 win together, a 12% return. The yard as a whole is in fine form, sending out 60 winners this season, and Hughes clearly believes in this horse. Whether Rare Change can finally crack that top-level barrier on dry ground is the story worth following.