Terries Royale

The overall career record of 2 wins and 7 places from 22 races tells a slightly different story, of course. That works out to wins in roughly 1 in every 11 races overall, which is modest. But the places suggest a horse that is competitive and trying — it has finished in the top three on seven occasions without getting the job done. Both wins came in a short window in autumn 2024, first at Ascot in September and then at Newmarket three weeks later. Ascot and Newmarket are two of the most prestigious tracks in Britain, so whatever Terries Royale was doing that month, it was doing it well.

Since that Newmarket win 21 months ago, the horse has not won again. The last six runs read 8-4-6-10-11-7, which means it has been finishing mid-pack or worse. That is a long drought for a horse that has shown it can win at a decent level. The partnership with jockey Alistair Rawlinson has produced 0 wins from 10 races together, which will not have gone unnoticed by the team.

The trainer is Tony Carroll, based in Cropthorne in Worcestershire, and his yard has been in fine form — 136 winners this season is a serious tally that speaks to a busy, well-run operation. Carroll clearly knows how to get horses winning. The question is whether Terries Royale can find its way back to the kind of wet-ground conditions where it has looked like a different animal entirely. It raced just yesterday, so it is firmly in training and active. Another rainy afternoon could change everything.