Sambezi

His two wins came in fairly quick succession back in 2023 — first at Fontwell Park in March, then at Worcester in May — but that Worcester victory now sits 37 months in the rearview mirror, and he has not won since. He has spent most of his career competing at Class 4 level, the solid middle tier of British racing, winning just 1 of 19 races there, or 5% — roughly 1 in every 19. That is a modest return, but it tells you where his level sits and that he has been facing consistent, if unspectacular, competition throughout.

The interesting thing is that his recent form is not as bleak as the absence of wins might suggest. His trainer was encouraged after Sambezi finished eighth at Chepstow in a notably tougher race — a 0-115 contest, which is a stronger class than he typically faces. The fact that he acquitted himself reasonably in that company was seen as a positive sign, and the trainer's plan is to step him back down to his more familiar level, where he has at least some chance of getting his head back in front. He has also dropped a pound in the weights as a result, which is a small but useful advantage.

Ben Jones has been his most regular pilot, riding him seven times for one win together — a win rate of 14%, or 1 in every 7 rides, which is actually above Sambezi's overall average and suggests there is a reasonable partnership there. He raced just yesterday, so he is very much in the thick of it right now. The win has been elusive for a while, but the trainer is not giving up, and with a return to familiar waters on the horizon, there may still be one more moment in the sun for Sambezi.