Vafortino

What makes Vafortino interesting is his specificity. He wins roughly one in every five races on normal ground—three wins from 14 attempts—and he performs best over the 1m1f to 1m2f range, where he has won one from five. That consistency on good, standard conditions matters; it tells you when and where to look for him to run well. His recent record, however, tells a different story. He has not won in his last six races, with results of fifth, second, third, eighth and seventh. His most recent start was just a day ago. He is still actively racing at an age when many horses have retired, and his jockey Benoit De La Sayette, his most frequent partner, has ridden him seven times but landed just one winner together.

Vafortino's last victory came at Meydan on 22 December 2023, now more than two years ago. Jockey James Doyle, who was in the saddle that day, noted afterwards that Vafortino "can take a bit of time to warm to the task" in big, messy fields—a quirk of his character that explains some of his inconsistency. He is a tough horse, in the words of his previous trainer, one who runs well fresh and benefits from a bit of cut in the ground. These are the details that matter to those who know him: Vafortino is a solid, sound racehorse with clear preferences and limitations, still trying but no longer hitting the mark as he once did.