Reaching High

The one moment of glory came at Wolverhampton on 1 August 2024, and it remains the only win on the record. That was almost two years ago now, and a lot of racing has happened since without a repeat. The recent form figures — 20, 9, 2, 15, 1, 2, reading from most recent backwards — tell a mixed story. A second and a first suggest the ability is there, but the 20th and 15th place finishes in between point to a horse that blows hot and cold.

One thing that does stand out is what happens when the trip gets longer. Over distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, Reaching High has won 1 from 3 races — that is a 33% win rate, or roughly one in every three attempts. For context, winning a third of your races at any level is genuinely impressive. The problem is that most of its racing has come at shorter trips or in Class 4 company, where it has gone 0 from 4. That combination — wrong distance, middling class — may simply be the wrong environment for this horse.

Richard Kingscote has partnered Reaching High five times without a win between them, which is a partnership that has yet to click. With Mullins in the corner and a horse that clearly has something to offer at the right trip, the question is whether the yard can line everything up — longer distance, suitable conditions — before another season slips by without adding to that solitary Wolverhampton win.