Roger Pol

What is interesting about Roger Pol is how much better he performs when paired with jockey Gavin Sheehan. Together they have won 5 of 11 races, a 45% win rate, which is exceptional and suggests the pair has a genuine understanding. Trainer Jamie Snowden, who runs a powerful yard at Lambourn that has sent out 82 winners this season alone, has spoken warmly about the horse's heart and courage. Snowden noted that Roger Pol lacks size but makes up for it in grit—he has proven capable at Class 4 level, where he has won 3 of 10 races (30%), and he is a course specialist at Uttoxeter with 2 wins from 7 races there.

The horse made his chasing debut at Southwell and won, jumping neatly and accurately according to Snowden, who believed he could continue to progress over fences. But that optimism has not translated into recent results. At eight years old, Roger Pol is entering what ought to be his prime years, yet the form suggests he may be struggling to find the same winning formula that produced those seven victories in his career. Whether a return to a course where he has performed well, or a reassignment to Sheehan's saddle, might revive him remains to be seen.