Thornaby Pearl

The numbers are modest on paper — a win rate of roughly 1 in every 13 races overall — but they hide something more interesting. On wet or muddy ground, Thornaby Pearl transforms. Two wins from 9 races in those conditions works out to a 22% win rate, meaning he wins roughly 1 in every 4 races when the rain has been down. That is nearly three times his overall average, and it tells you almost everything you need to know about when to pay attention to this horse.

Nicholls is candid about what makes Thornaby Pearl tick — and what makes him frustrating. The horse carries his head high, travels with real purpose, and when he gets a clear run in front, he can look genuinely impressive. The problem is that the moment he starts winning, the official handicapper notices and makes life harder for him. He also hates being crowded in a pack, which means getting him to the front early isn't just a preference — it's almost a requirement. Get the conditions right, give him a clear lead, and you have a different horse entirely.

Most of his career has been spent at Class 5 level — the bread-and-butter end of British racing — where he has won 3 of his 24 races at that grade. It is a modest but honest career. Barry McHugh has ridden him more than anyone, partnering the horse in 12 races together for 1 win, and the combination remains active. Thornaby Pearl raced just one day ago, and his last six runs show a horse in decent nick: a win, then a run of mid-field finishes before coming back with a third and fourth place. He won at Hamilton Park as recently as August 2025, which tells you his best days are not behind him. Whether there's another win in him this season may simply come down to whether the clouds roll in.