Wild Clary

That sole win came at Southwell on 17 August 2025, and it mattered. Southwell is a synthetic, all-weather track in Nottinghamshire, the kind of venue where some horses simply click and others never quite find their rhythm. Wild Clary found its rhythm. Whether that surface suits something about the way it moves, or whether the slightly sharper, tighter nature of an all-weather track suits its racing style, only the team at Herridge will know for certain — but it is worth noting.

The relationship with jockey Sean Levey is one of the more intriguing threads in this horse's story. Levey has partnered Wild Clary in 8 of its 13 races — the majority of its career — and has yet to ride it to a win. That is not necessarily a criticism of either horse or jockey; sometimes a combination just hasn't clicked yet in the right race at the right moment. Levey is a respected rider who partners plenty of winners for Richard Hannon's yard.

Speaking of which, Hannon's operation at Herridge in Wiltshire has sent out 111 winners already this season — that is a yard firing on all cylinders, and having a horse that finishes in the top three as reliably as Wild Clary does is exactly the kind of consistent performer that keeps a busy stable ticking. Racing in Class 4 — the middle tier of British racing — Wild Clary has yet to win at that level across 8 attempts, which explains why the team will be weighing their options carefully.

Recent form reads 4-2-2-3-1-2 from the last six races, most recent first. That sequence — fourth, second, second, third, a win, then second — describes a horse building momentum and then, frustratingly, just failing to convert again. Wild Clary raced just three days ago and is clearly in good enough shape to keep running. Whether a second win is close or still a race or two away is the question worth watching.