Stitching Wheel

Trained by Chris Grant at his yard in Billingham, Cleveland, Stitching Wheel is part of a small but quietly productive operation that has sent out four winners already this season. Grant's team tend to know their horses well, and the decision to keep persisting with this one has now paid off.

The horse has always looked most at home over longer trips. At distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, Stitching Wheel has won 1 from 6 races — roughly one in every six attempts at those distances — which compares favourably to the overall career record of 1 win from 10 races in total. That suggests the stamina trip suits, and getting that distance right was probably key to unlocking the win at Redcar. Recent form had been modest — finishing fifth, sixth, and seventh in three of the last four runs before this week — so the victory looks like a horse that needed everything to fall into place rather than one in consistent form.

At Class 4 level, which is broadly mid-tier racing, Stitching Wheel is still searching for a win from three attempts. The Redcar victory came at a different level, so the team will now need to decide whether to step back up in class or stick to the grade where it has so far been found wanting. With the confidence of a first win under the belt and a clear preference for longer distances, there is at least a clear route forward — find the right race at the right trip, and this horse has already shown it can get its head in front.