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The Grey Man

Seven years old and still finding his best form, The Grey Man is a horse who has taken his time to get things right — but the recent evidence suggests the wait may be paying off. Trained by Harriet Dickin out of her yard in Midford, Somerset, he has won 2 races and placed a further 6 times from 16 outings, a win rate of around 1 in every 8 races. That is modest on paper, but the details tell a more interesting story.Based on TrackLab's analysis
Quick facts
Age
7 years old
Sex
Gelding
Colour
Grey
Father
Dartmouth
Mother
Timon's Tara
Owner
Mark James
Official rating
105

📊 Key numbers

Career totals for this horse
16
Career races
2
Wins
12.5%
Win rate
avg ~10%
37.5%
Top-3 rate
avg ~30%
215 days
Since last race

🔍 Full analysis

Our model's view, based on this horse's career and recent runs
TrackLab's detailed breakdown

His first career win came at Leicester in January 2025, which already marked him out as a horse who had needed time to mature. But it is his most recent victory, at Wetherby just four weeks ago, that gives his profile a sharper edge. Wetherby is a proper test of a staying horse, and The Grey Man delivered there when it mattered. His best performances come at distances between one mile six furlongs and two miles — longer trips that ask horses to settle, travel, and see out the race properly. At those distances, he has won 1 from 3, a rate of 33%, which is a genuinely strong return and suggests he is a horse who improves significantly when given the right conditions to show what he can do.

Regular partner Ben Poste has been aboard for 7 of his 16 races, winning once together — a rate of roughly 1 in 7. That is in line with The Grey Man's overall numbers, but what matters more is the timing: Poste was in the saddle for that Wetherby win, and the partnership appears to be developing at just the right moment. Harriet Dickin's yard has sent out 4 winners this season, so The Grey Man's recent success is part of a stable in decent form rather than an isolated fluke.

He tends to run at Class 4 level — solid, competitive racing without quite reaching the top tier — and has won 1 from 8 at that grade. What makes his current run of form genuinely interesting is the trajectory: a winner last month, still racing, and looking more like a horse who has figured things out than one who is running out of time. At seven, with a staying trip and a decent yard behind him, The Grey Man looks worth following while the momentum lasts.

⚡ Strengths and risks

What helps this horse and what to watch out for
✓ What works in their favour
✔ Excellent record on good_to_soft ground: 1 wins from 4 starts (25%)
✔ Well suited by 1m6f – 2m distances: 33% win rate
⚠ What to watch out for
⚠ Poor record on soft ground: 0 wins from 6 starts
⚠ Poor record on good ground: 0 wins from 4 starts

🎯 Where this horse runs best

Results split by ground, distance, race level and track shape
🌧 Ground
Good to soft (some give)
Loves
Heavy (very wet)
Unknown
Soft (muddy)
Avoids
Good (a little give)
Avoids
📏 Race distance
1M6F – 2M
Loves
Long Distance (2M+)
Ok
🏅 Race level
Class 4 (standard)
Class 5 (entry-level)
Avoids
🏟 Track shape
Left-handed, long straights
Right-handed, hilly
Unknown
Long straights
Unknown
Right-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, tight turns
Avoids

📅 Recent runs

The last 10 races, most recent first
15 Apr
DNF
Haydock Park
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 11 runners
17 Mar
🏆 Won
Wetherby
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 4 runners
1 Mar
DNF
Ffos Las
Long Distance (2m+) · Heavy · 10 runners
13 Feb
DNF
Chepstow
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 10 runners
27 Jan
DNF
Chepstow
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 17 runners
15 Jan
7th
Ludlow
Long Distance (2m+) · Good_To_Soft · 12 runners
28 Oct
4th
Ffos Las
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 15 runners
21 Apr
6th
Chepstow
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 12 runners
9 Mar
6th
Warwick
Long Distance (2m+) · Good · 7 runners
7 Feb
3rd
Bangor-on-Dee
Long Distance (2m+) · Soft · 12 runners

🏇 Jockeys

Every jockey who has ridden this horse, most rides first
14.3%
Win rate
1/7
Wins / rides
James Best Current jockey
33.3%
Win rate
1/3
Wins / rides
Bradley Harris
0%
Win rate
0/2
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides
0%
Win rate
0/1
Wins / rides

🏟 Course record

Win rate at each course this horse has visited
CourseRacesResultsLast runWin rate
Chepstow
Galloping
3 3 other 13 Feb 0%
Ffos Las
Galloping
2 2 other 1 Mar 0%
Warwick
Sharp
2 2 other 9 Mar 0%
Ludlow
Undulating
2 1 second, 1 other 15 Jan 0%
hereford 2 1 second, 1 other 11 Dec 0%
Leicester
Sharp
1 1 win 21 Jan 100%
Wetherby
Galloping
1 1 win 17 Mar 100%
Haydock Park
Galloping
1 1 other 15 Apr 0%
Bangor-on-Dee
Sharp
1 1 third 7 Feb 0%
Uttoxeter
Sharp
1 1 third 24 Apr 0%