Vince Le Prince

The most striking thing about him is what he does at Catterick Bridge. He has won 3 of his 9 races there, which is a remarkable return for a horse who wins roughly 1 in every 8 races overall (13% across his career). At most tracks he is a solid, honest performer who fills places without quite getting his nose in front. At Catterick, something clicks. His last win came there in October 2024, so it has now been 18 months since he tasted victory, and his recent run of form — finishing second, second, fourth, third, fifth, and seventh in his last six outings — tells the story of a horse who is competitive but has been unable to convert. Two runner-up finishes in that sequence suggest the spark is still there; he just needs things to fall right.

What makes Vince Le Prince a curious character is that he seems to handle almost any ground. On fast, dry ground he has won 2 from 8 (25%), and on wet or muddy ground he has won 2 from 6 (33%). That kind of adaptability is genuinely rare and means his team at Great Habton do not need to wait for specific conditions to run him — they can pick their spots more freely than with most horses. Tim Easterby's yard has been in excellent form this season, sending out 138 winners, so Vince Le Prince is operating within an outfit that clearly knows how to get horses to perform.

Regular jockey David Allan has partnered him 20 times, winning twice together — that is 1 win every 10 rides, which is modest, but the consistency of the pairing suggests a settled, trusted relationship. The bulk of his racing has come at Class 4 level, where he has won just 1 from 19 races (5%) — a tough return that hints he is perhaps at his very best when the planets align at Catterick rather than through sheer class. With £74,000 in career prize money, he is no superstar. But he keeps turning up, and at his favourite track, he has a habit of making people pay attention.