Regarde

The ground matters enormously with this horse. On normal conditions, Regarde transforms: five wins from 13 races at 38%, meaning he wins more than one in every three times the track is in good shape. That is a remarkable conversion rate and a very useful thing to know. When conditions suit him, he is a genuinely consistent performer.

He also has a particular affection for Huntingdon, where his career began in October 2023. He has won two of his three races there — a two-from-three record at any track is the kind of stat that makes professionals sit up. Snowden has spoken about Regarde's versatility with real enthusiasm, noting that even a drop in trip at Huntingdon was a concern that turned out to be unfounded once the horse jumped well and found his rhythm. That adaptability, across distances and conditions, is what keeps a nine-year-old competitive.

Jockey Gavin Sheehan has been the regular partner, riding him in 11 of his 20 races and winning three of them — a win rate of 27%, slightly above Regarde's overall average. That is a partnership that clearly works. Snowden's yard has been in fine form this season with 82 winners sent out, and Regarde's Worcester win this week is part of that momentum.

Most of his racing has come at Class 4 level — a solid middle tier — where he has won one from nine, which sounds modest until you set it against the fact he was placed in most of the others and has a Cheltenham third on his CV, beaten just over a length. Snowden has mentioned the possibility of going back to Cheltenham for the November meeting, and given that performance, it would be hard to argue against. At nine, Regarde is not a young horse building toward something — he is an experienced one who has simply not stopped being good.