Royal Duke
Royal Duke is a hard-working 5-year-old who has found his groove at the lower levels of racing, winning 4 of his 34 races—a win rate that sits at around one win per eight attempts. He broke his duck at Musselburgh on a wet October afternoon in 2024, and since then has proved he belongs in Class 6 company, winning 3 of his 16 races at that level, which works out at roughly 1 in every 5 outings. That kind of record at a consistent standard shows he is a genuine performer rather than a flash in the pan, though his recent form tells a different story: his last six races have yielded only two placings—a fifth and another fifth sandwiching a pair of sixths and a seventh. His most recent victory came just this week at Carlisle on 27 August, suggesting there is plenty of fight left in him.Based on TrackLab's AI analysis
📊 Key Numbers
Career statistics for this horse
26.5%
Place rate (top 3)
avg ~30%
🔍 Full Analysis
TrackLab's AI-generated assessment based on career data and recent form
The horse has a pronounced preference for normal, standard ground conditions. On fast, dry ground he struggles to click into gear, but when the track is running true, he has won 4 of 20 races—one win in every five attempts, which is substantially better than his overall record. Musselburgh is his spiritual home: he has won twice there from 15 races, making the Scottish track a happy hunting ground despite the win rate of around 1 in 7 not jumping out as exceptional. Rhys Elliott has been his most frequent partner, combining for 2 wins from 17 races together at an identical 12 percent clip. Trainer R Mike Smith, based at Galston in East Ayrshire, has had a productive season with 25 winners sent out from the yard, and Royal Duke remains an active part of those plans, last racing just a day ago. He may never grace the big stages, but he has shown enough consistency at Carlisle and elsewhere to suggest there are more wins to come in him yet.
⚡ Strengths & Risks
What the data says works for and against this horse
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on good ground: 4 wins from 20 starts (20%)
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on good_to_firm ground: 0 wins from 7 starts
⚠ Poor record on good_to_soft ground: 0 wins from 5 starts
🎯 Where This Horse Thrives
Performance broken down by ground, distance, class, and track type
🌧 Ground Conditions
Good to firm (drying out)
Avoids
Good to soft (some give)
Avoids
🏅 Competition Level
Class 5 (entry-level)
Avoids
Class 6 (grassroots)
Loves
🏟 Track Shape
Right-handed, tight turns
Ok
Left-handed, long straights
Ok
Right-handed, hilly
Unknown
📅 Recent Runs
The last 10 races, most recent first
27 Aug
🏆 Won
Carlisle
5f – 6½f · Good · 14 runners
24 Aug
7th
Musselburgh
5f – 6½f · Good · 10 runners
8 Aug
11th
Ayr
5f – 6½f · Good · 13 runners
27 Jul
5th
Ayr
5f – 6½f · Good_To_Firm · 9 runners
20 Jul
6th
Ayr
5f – 6½f · Good_To_Firm · 7 runners
13 Jul
5th
Ayr
5f – 6½f · Good_To_Firm · 9 runners
6 Jul
7th
Ayr
5f – 6½f · Good · 13 runners
20 Jun
7th
Ayr
5f – 6½f · Soft · 11 runners
6 Jun
3rd
Musselburgh
5f – 6½f · Good · 8 runners
21 May
6th
Musselburgh
5f – 6½f · Good · 9 runners
🏇 Jockey Partnerships
Every jockey who has ridden this horse, sorted by rides together
Rhys Elliott Current Jockey
🏟 Track Record
Win rate at each course this horse has visited
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|
| Musselburgh Sharp |
15 |
2 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, 10 other |
24 Aug |
13.3% |
| Ayr Galloping |
13 |
1 win, 1 second, 11 other |
8 Aug |
7.7% |
| Hamilton Park Sharp |
4 |
1 third, 3 other |
16 May |
0% |
| Carlisle Undulating |
1 |
1 win |
27 Aug |
100% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
1 |
1 other |
17 Oct |
0% |