Saratoga Gold

The most striking thing in Saratoga Gold's record is what happens when he turns up at Epsom Downs. He has raced there three times and won twice — that is an extraordinary hit rate for any horse at any track. Epsom is famously unusual: a switchback circuit with a steep downhill bend and a camber that unsettles horses not built for it. The fact that Saratoga Gold takes to it so naturally is not just a quirk — it is almost certainly why his trainer at the time, Charlie Hills, flagged that he travels well and could improve over longer distances. Normal conditions suit him best too: on standard ground, he has won 3 of his 13 races, or roughly 1 in 4, which is a genuinely strong ratio for a horse at this level.

His first win came at Goodwood in April 2022, and it set the template — an undulating track, decent ground, and a horse who clearly enjoys the challenge of terrain rather than a flat, galloping circuit. He was gelded before the 2023 season and the transformation was marked: four wins that year, including three in a row during the late summer. His most recent win came at Kempton Park in July 2023, which is now 36 months ago. The last six races have brought no wins — a sixth, a sixth, a second, a third, a second, and a third — but those placed efforts show a horse still competitive at Class 4 level, where he has won 4 of 15 races, or just over 1 in 4.

When jockey Kieran Shoemark climbs aboard, the partnership has produced 2 wins from just 6 races together — a win rate of 33%, or roughly 1 in 3, which makes their combination worth noting. Trained now by Kevin and Lauren Frost at Averham Park in Nottinghamshire, a yard that has sent out three winners this season, Saratoga Gold raced just yesterday. At eight, with the miles on the clock, the question is whether there is one more win in him — and if Epsom comes up on the racecard, the smart money says do not rule it out.