Secret Handsheikh

The overall numbers tell a modest story — 6 wins and 19 places from 57 races, with an 11% win rate across a career that started with a first victory at Chepstow back in August 2022. It typically competes at Class 5, which is towards the lower end of the racing ladder, and at that level has won just 1 from 29 races — a sobering 3%. That makes the Brighton record even more striking by comparison. Something about that track — its tight, undulating layout on the Sussex Downs — genuinely suits this horse in a way that most of its regular surroundings simply do not.

Its preferred conditions are normal ground, where it has won 4 of 19 races (21%), and that consistency on a standard surface suggests it is not a horse that needs soft or muddy conditions to show its best. The regular partnership with jockey Darragh Keenan has produced 2 wins from 12 races together — roughly 1 in every 6 — a decent return that suggests the pair have developed a working understanding over time.

Recent form shows a horse heading in the right direction. After a couple of quiet efforts, it placed twice, then ran third, and most recently won at Bath in August 2025 — its first win in nearly three years. That victory, just 16 days ago, confirms Secret Handsheikh is still very much in the mix. John Gallagher's yard has sent out 8 winners this season, suggesting the operation is in decent health. Whether Secret Handsheikh can add to its tally will likely depend on one thing above all else: whether the yard point it back towards Brighton.