Sunnyvilla

The numbers tell an interesting story. Across 19 career races, Sunnyvilla has won 5 and placed in a further 9 — that's a win rate of roughly 1 in every 4 races, with some kind of reward on offer in nearly three-quarters of his outings. But the really striking figure is what happens when the ground turns soft and wet: three wins from just six races in those conditions, meaning he wins every other time the mud comes up. That's not a preference, that's practically a superpower. Richards has said as much himself, describing Sunnyvilla as "a proper mid-winter, heavy-ground sort" — the kind of horse you point at the calendar when December and January arrive and the tracks are sodden.

His most recent win came at Uttoxeter in late January 2026, and before that he went agonisingly close at Haydock just before Christmas — finishing second on ground that, in Richards' view, probably wasn't quite soft enough. Had he not made a small error at the final fence, it could easily have been a winner. That near-miss is the kind of detail that stays with a trainer, and it explains why the yard have been quietly patient, waiting for conditions to suit rather than throwing him at whatever race comes along.

Nicky Richards runs one of the most productive yards in the north of England, with 39 winners sent out this season from Greystoke in Cumbria — so Sunnyvilla is one of many horses competing well. Sean O'Keeffe has been the regular partner in the saddle, riding him in 7 of his races and winning once together, though Danny McMenamin took the most recent win at Uttoxeter and the near-miss at Haydock. After a short break of just over six weeks, Sunnyvilla is likely heading back out soon. If the weather obliges and the ground gets testing, his record suggests he will be right in the mix.