Reputation

The career numbers tell an honest story: 5 wins and 18 places from 46 races, a win rate of roughly 1 in every 9 outings. That is not the record of a star, but it is the record of a genuine competitor — a horse that keeps showing up and keeps finding its way into the prize money. What stands out in the recent form is a real late-career purple patch. Reputation has won 2 of its last 6 races, with a third-place finish sandwiched in between, and the most recent win came at Southwell just two months ago in May 2026. For a 13-year-old, that is not just respectable — it is genuinely impressive.

The level Reputation competes at is Class 6, which is the entry level of British racing — the everyday, bread-and-butter contests where the margins are small and nothing is handed to you. Within that environment, the horse has carved out a tidy record, winning 3 from 18 races at that level, or roughly 1 in every 6. That 17% win rate at Class 6 is notably better than the overall career average, suggesting this is a horse that knows exactly where it belongs and performs accordingly.

In the saddle, James Sullivan has been the regular partner, riding Reputation in 35 of its 46 races — a long-standing combination that speaks to a real working relationship between horse and rider. Sullivan has ridden 3 of the 5 career wins, a win rate of 9% together, which broadly mirrors the overall record. Behind the scenes, trainer Ruth Carr has overseen the whole journey from her yard in Stillington, North Yorkshire. With 56 winners sent out already this season, Carr is clearly in fine form, and keeping a 13-year-old in good enough shape to win races in the spring of 2026 is no small part of that achievement.

Reputation will never headline a major festival or fill a column in the national press. But there is something quietly brilliant about a horse this age, at this stage of life, still doing what it does — turning up, competing, and occasionally winning. That counts for something.