Ron O

The York win in June 2024 remains his most recent victory, which means he has now gone 23 months without winning across his last 6 races, with finishes of 23rd, 6th, 10th, 5th, 12th and 9th. That is a lean run by anyone's standards, and it does raise the question of whether he is coming to the end of his best days. But horses can surprise you, and Ron O has form that suggests certain conditions bring the best out of him.

Put him on wet or muddy ground and he becomes a different proposition. In 4 races on soft or heavy going he has won 2 of them — that is a 50% win rate, which is remarkable. Most horses at his level would be pleased with 1 win in 4 on any surface. He also has a particular affinity for Southwell, winning 2 of his 3 races there. Two wins from three at one track is not coincidence, it is a pattern worth knowing about.

His most productive partnership has been with jockey Tom Eaves, who has ridden him to 3 wins from 9 races together — winning roughly 1 in every 3 races as a pair. That is well above his overall average and suggests the combination is worth watching whenever it comes together.

The bulk of his wins — 5 of his 9 — have come in Class 4 races, the bread-and-butter level of the sport, where he has won 36% of the time. That is where he is most comfortable, and it makes the Class 2 victory at York all the more striking. Ron O is a horse who knows his game, and on the right day, on the right ground, at the right track, he has shown he can play it very well indeed.