Volenti

The numbers across Volenti's career tell a story of quiet consistency rather than headline brilliance. Winning 5 from 45 races — roughly 1 in every 9 outings — puts this horse at the more modest end of the sport, and the fact that it mostly competes at Class 6, the lowest level of British racing, confirms this is not a horse troubling the sport's elite. And yet within that world, Volenti has carved out a real identity. On normal ground, it wins around 1 in every 6 races, a healthy return that suggests conditions matter — get the ground right, get to Newcastle, and the picture changes considerably.

Andrew Mullen has been the key figure in the saddle. Of the 15 times he and Volenti have raced together, they have won four times — a win rate of 27%, or roughly 1 in every 4 races. That is a striking partnership in a horse that only wins 1 in 9 overall. There is clearly something that works between horse and rider, a familiarity that produces results far above Volenti's general average.

The recent form, though, is a concern. Volenti has not won in its last six races, finishing no better than fourth in any of them, and most recently eighth, ninth, and seventh before that small uptick. The last win came at Newcastle on 31 January 2025, now 16 months ago. That gap is not alarming for a horse at this level — these animals often run frequently without winning — but the trend has been drifting in the wrong direction. Haslam's yard has been in fine fettle this season, sending out 35 winners, which at least suggests the operation is in good health. Whether Volenti can find that Newcastle magic again, ideally with Mullen back aboard on a good surface, is the question worth watching.