St Faz

The numbers that really stand out are his record on normal ground and over middle distances. On a good, standard surface he has won 4 of just 6 races — that is two-thirds of them, which is an extraordinary hit rate for any horse at this level. Over 1 mile 6 furlongs to 2 miles, he has won 6 of 13 races, or nearly half of everything he has attempted at that trip. Those two things together paint a clear picture: get him on a decent surface at the right distance and he is genuinely difficult to beat.

Nowhere has that been more obvious than at Southwell, where he has won 3 of his 4 visits. That kind of course record is rare and meaningful — some horses simply suit certain tracks, whether it is the shape of the circuit, the camber, or the surface, and St Faz has made Southwell look like his own back garden. His trainer A Keatley, based at Ryedale in North Yorkshire, has had 43 winners this season, and clearly knows exactly what conditions bring the best out of this horse. After a run at Navan where the trainer admitted he was too fresh and free, the yard has been patient in placing him well — and it has paid off. There was real excitement after a back-to-back winning spell at Lingfield, with talk of St Faz developing into a smart dual-purpose horse capable of winning on the flat and over jumps.

Regular jockey Phillip Enright has partnered him 9 times for 1 win, which suggests the horse has shown up in tougher spots when the two are paired together. St Faz first announced himself at Down Royal in July 2023, and nearly three years on he is still competing, still winning, and still giving his team plenty to look forward to.