The Fingal Raven

Osborne was candid about his own misjudgment. Earlier in the year, he had marked The Fingal Raven down as the nicest two-year-old he had trained since Toast Of New York, a horse of genuine pedigree. The early races did not vindicate that confidence. The horse was beaten twice before his win at Kempton, and Osborne admits he felt he had stuck his neck out for nothing. The breakthrough came when he stopped overthinking it. "He just needed that little bit of time," Osborne reflected after the Kempton success. The horse has natural pace and covers ground well at distances between a mile and two furlongs — his one win at that trip came from just six attempts, a 17% win rate that hints at his best chance coming when the distance suits.

Jockey Saffie Osborne has partnered him twice to victory, a win rate of 18% across 11 rides together, and his recent form shows promise buried beneath the drought. In his last six races, he has placed four times, including a second place, suggesting he remains competitive even when not winning. Whether The Fingal Raven can build on that consistency or remains a horse of occasional brilliance in a lesser class remains to be seen, but his record suggests he is far from finished.