Stiletto

The most striking thing about Stiletto right now is what it does at Worcester. Two wins from just five races there makes it a genuine course specialist — that is a 40% win rate at a single track, which is extraordinary when you consider it only wins about 10% of the time everywhere else. Worcester clearly suits this horse in a way that is hard to fully explain, but trainers and jockeys know to pay attention when a horse has that kind of affinity with a particular venue. Its most recent win came there just this week, on 10 July 2026, and it raced again only yesterday, which tells you the team around it is keeping it busy while the form is good.

Sophie Leech trains Stiletto from her yard in Elton, Gloucestershire. It is a small operation — four winners sent out so far this season — so each one matters. Leech has found the conditions that bring out the best in this horse: normal ground and long distances of two miles or more. On normal ground, Stiletto has won 3 of 19 races, or about 1 in 6. Over the longer trips, it has won 4 of its 26 races at that distance. Both of those numbers are meaningfully better than its overall record, and they point to a horse that needs time and room to do its thing.

The partnership with jockey Sean Bowen has been the key that unlocks it. In eight races together, Bowen has ridden Stiletto to 3 of its 4 career wins — winning 3 in every 8 rides, which is a remarkable return. Recent form has been patchy, with a win followed by finishes of sixth, fifth, ninth, twelfth, and seventh before the Worcester victory brought it back to life. Whether that win is the start of something or just a moment of magic on a favourite track, Stiletto is a horse that quietly rewards those who know where and when to watch it.