The partnership with jockey Charles Bishop is the most established relationship in Splish Splash's career — they have raced together five times, and that Haydock win came on Bishop's watch. Winning 1 in every 5 races together (20%) is a decent return, and the familiarity between horse and rider can count for a lot at this stage of a young horse's development.
Behind the scenes, the training setup is a strong one. Eve Johnson Houghton's yard at Blewbury in Oxfordshire has sent out 42 winners this season alone — that kind of volume reflects a well-run operation that knows how to place horses where they have a chance. Splish Splash is in good hands. The recent form figures of 12-9-14 suggest a horse that has struggled in its last three outings, but it is only one day since its last race, so it is clearly still being given every opportunity to find a race it can win.
The honest summary is that Splish Splash is a young horse with one good day on its CV and a yard experienced enough to find another. Whether the Haydock win turns out to be the start of something or just a career highlight remains to be seen.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haydock Park Galloping |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 22 May | 50% |
| Newbury Galloping |
2 | 1 third, 1 other | 18 Apr | 0% |
| York Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 12 Jun | 0% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 31 Oct | 0% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 12 Sep | 0% |