Tuscan Hills

The interesting part is where those wins came from. Both victories arrived early in Tuscan Hills' career, with the first at Thirsk in late August 2024 and the significant one a Class 1 race at Pontefract in October that same year. Winning at the highest level is never routine, and that Pontefract success proved the horse belongs in proper races. But since then, nothing. The last six outings have brought nothing better than two second-place finishes, suggesting something has shifted — whether injury, loss of form, or simply stiffer competition is impossible to say.

Where Tuscan Hills does find its best is at middle distances between seven furlongs and a mile. Over that range, it has won one from three races, a 33% win rate that stands out sharply against its overall record. It's a hint that the yard — Nigel Tinkler's operation near Langton in North Yorkshire, which has been winning consistently this season with 37 winners — knows the horse well enough to pick the right ground and distance. David Egan, who rides it most often, has recorded one win from five attempts together, a 20% rate that isn't spectacular but suggests they run well enough when conditions align.

The real question hanging over Tuscan Hills now is whether it can recapture that Pontefract form from nearly two years ago. A horse that has won at Class 1 level doesn't simply disappear, but the gap between then and now has grown long. It raced just a day ago, so the yard is clearly still trying. Whether the next race brings a return to winning form or another second-place finish, that Class 1 victory will always be there — proof that on the right day, against the right field, Tuscan Hills is a proper racehorse.