Torrent

The real story here is those two wins clustered within six weeks at the start of the journey. After breaking through at Uttoxeter in late July 2024, Torrent struck again at Newton Abbot six weeks later, then hit a wall that has lasted two years. Since September 2024 it has not won, though it has picked up places regularly enough—16 of its last 20 races brought a cheque, which is to say the horse races competently but rarely brilliantly. The recent form reads like disappointment: a second place three weeks ago, followed by two thirds and another fifth. Second place at least suggests the legs are still there, but the wins have vanished.

Where Torrent looks most dangerous is at distances between a mile and three-quarters and two miles, where it has won 1 of 5 races (20%). Even more intriguing is its record in Class 4 company—the sort of race where a horse can still make a mark—where it has won 2 from 7 (29%). Put David Noonan in the saddle, the jockey who has ridden the horse for most of its career, and the picture sharpens slightly: they have won 2 of 12 races together (17%), a partnership that works better than Torrent's record suggests.

Nigel Hawke's Stoodleigh yard in Devon has had a decent season by the numbers, with 12 winners sent out, so Torrent is part of a functioning operation. But at five years old and without a win since 2024, this is a horse running out of runway. For the yard, finding the right race at the right distance in the right class is everything now—and Torrent has shown it can win when those stars align.