Royal Deeside

At six years old, Royal Deeside is entering what should be its prime, and the recent form figures read encouragingly even if the wins have dried up: second, third, second, third, third, third across its last six races. This is a horse that keeps showing up, keeps running well enough to collect prize money, but has not managed to convert since August 2025. That is now nine months without a win, which will be testing everyone's patience — yet the consistency of those placed efforts suggests it is not out of form, just waiting for the right moment.

Patrick Morris, who trains the horse from his yard in Prescott on Merseyside, has been candid about its development. He noted after last autumn that the horse had been placed in nearly every race over hurdles the previous season, had strengthened over the summer, and that two miles was the natural starting point for its trip. That is borne out by the numbers: Royal Deeside has won 2 of its 23 races at distances over two miles, which is a modest 9% win rate but still comfortably outperforms everything below that distance. It is a horse that needs room to stretch.

Normal conditions suit it best — 2 wins from 14 races on standard ground, compared to nothing on wet or dry extremes. The yard is in decent form with 22 winners this season, so the platform is there. The bigger question mark hangs over jockey Tom Cannon, who has partnered the horse six times without a single win between them. That partnership has yet to click. If Royal Deeside is heading back to Hexham on decent ground, that is when you sit up and pay attention — because whatever that track does to this horse, it does it better than anywhere else.