St Faz

The most striking number in his record is what he has done at Southwell: three wins from just four races there. That is a 75% win rate at a single track, which is the sort of figure that makes you sit up. Tracks have their own quirks — the surface, the bends, the way the ground drains — and some horses simply click with a particular venue in a way that is hard to explain. Southwell appears to be that place for St Faz. His sweet spot in terms of distance is also clear: over one mile six furlongs to two miles, he has won 6 of 13 races, nearly half of everything he has tried at those trips. On normal ground, that figure gets even more eye-catching — four wins from just six races on a good surface, a 67% conversion rate that borders on extraordinary.

Keatley is having a strong season — 40 winners sent out already — and has spoken enthusiastically about St Faz's potential as a dual-purpose horse, capable of running on both the flat and over jumps. After consecutive wins at Lingfield he was keen to back the horse up quickly and keep the momentum going, calling him a horse that should have a lot of fun over the coming weeks. He also noted, after an earlier win at Killarney, that the horse had disappointed the yard as a younger animal, and that waiting for the right conditions and the right moment had ultimately made the difference — better ground was the key.

His last win came at Musselburgh five weeks ago, and with a race just yesterday, the horse is clearly in active campaign. Phillip Enright, his most regular rider, has only won once from nine rides together — 1 in 9 — which, given how well the horse has run lately, perhaps suggests there is a combination yet to fully click. The results are coming regardless. St Faz is a horse running well, in a confident yard, at exactly the distances he loves.