Trilby

What makes Trilby genuinely special is what he does at Haydock Park. Four wins from 9 races there — that works out to winning nearly 1 in every 2 times he turns up at that particular track. For context, his overall win rate across his career is roughly 1 in every 7 races. Something about Haydock simply suits him, and trainer Sam England clearly knows it. England, based in Guiseley in West Yorkshire, has had a productive season — 49 winners sent out already — and Trilby has been part of that story. England has described him as "another star" for the yard, even while acknowledging that Trilby's profile has risen to a level where competition is tougher.

The other thing that unlocks Trilby is wet weather. On genuinely wet or muddy ground he has won 2 from 8 races — about 1 in 4 — but on truly heavy, waterlogged ground, he transforms into something close to unbeatable: 2 wins from just 3 races, a remarkable 67%. England himself noted that soft ground is a rarity these days and that when Trilby got it at Doncaster last autumn, he ran one of his finest races. His most recent win came just this week at Carlisle, and his last six runs read 1-3-1-6-2-5 — two wins and only one genuinely poor effort in recent form. He is clearly in good heart right now.

England paints a lovely picture of him away from the track: a horse who shows next to nothing at home, almost suspiciously relaxed for a sprinter, conserving energy like a veteran. That laid-back attitude is, according to his trainer, a feature rather than a flaw — it means Trilby saves himself for when it matters. His most regular partner, jockey Joe Fanning, has won 3 of their 14 races together, a win rate of around 1 in 5, which is noticeably better than Trilby manages with other riders. That combination clearly works. A horse earning his living at Class 4 level, with a career that keeps delivering, and a handler who clearly enjoys having him around — sometimes that is the whole story.