Some Nightmare

The key to unlocking this horse has always been the ground. On normal conditions — not too wet, not too firm, just ordinary racing ground — Some Nightmare transforms. Four wins from just 10 races in those conditions works out at 40%, which is a genuinely striking number. For context, the very best trainers in Britain win around 1 in 4 races. A 40% record in any category is exceptional, and it tells you that when the conditions are right, this is a horse operating well above its usual level. Most of its racing comes at Class 6, the entry level of British racing, where it has won 2 from 24 — about 1 in every 12 — so those normal-ground performances really stand out against the broader picture.

John O'Shea trains the horse from his yard in Newham-on-Severn in Gloucestershire, a small operation that has still managed 6 winners this season. When William Carson takes the ride, the partnership clicks noticeably better than average — 2 wins from 11 races together works out at 18%, or roughly 1 in every 6, which is nearly double Some Nightmare's overall win rate. That kind of stat is exactly what experienced racegoers look for when deciding whether to pay attention.

The horse first got its head in front at Goodwood back in September 2021, and last won at Chepstow in August 2025. The last six runs have produced three thirds and some just-out-of-the-money finishes — no wins, but no disasters either. With a race as recently as yesterday, Some Nightmare is clearly still active and still competitive. At nine years old and with 59 races in the bank, this is a horse that knows its job. The question is simply whether the ground comes up right.