Rickety Bridge

His overall career record — 2 wins and 5 places from 13 races, a win rate of roughly 1 in every 7 — might not set pulses racing at first glance. But context matters. His recent form is a different story entirely. He has won 2 of his last 6 races, with the most recent of those coming at Newton Abbot just this week. That's a horse in form, not a horse to dismiss.

One of the more interesting wrinkles in his profile is how well he goes on normal ground — standard conditions underfoot suit him perfectly, with 2 wins from 5 races on it (40%, or roughly 2 in every 5). That's a genuinely strong conversion rate, and his trainer has been open about the fact that ground conditions matter. Nicholls noted some time ago that he felt the horse wanted to go left-handed on soft, muddy ground, suggesting a very specific set of preferences. Newton Abbot is, usefully, a left-handed track — which may go a long way to explaining why it keeps bringing out the best in him.

His regular jockey Freddie Gingell hasn't yet found the key to him in 5 rides together without a win, which is a slightly odd footnote given the horse's recent success. Whether that partnership clicks eventually remains to be seen. What's less ambiguous is where Rickety Bridge sits in the pecking order: he's been tried in Class 2 races — some of the top-tier races in Britain — three times without winning, suggesting that when the level rises, life gets harder. He's a horse who performs best when the conditions and the course align in his favour.

The Nicholls yard is having a serious season — 92 winners already this campaign — and Rickety Bridge is doing his bit. He raced just yesterday, which means the yard will be managing him carefully from here. But on current form, on the right track, on normal ground, he is a genuinely competitive animal.