Zhang Fei

The yard behind Zhang Fei is no small operation. Fergal O'Brien, based in Withington in the Gloucestershire countryside, has sent out 90 winners already this season — that is a serious training outfit, and it speaks well of a horse that it has kept its place in a stable that busy. When Fern O'Brien takes the reins, the results sharpen noticeably: 2 wins from 10 races together, which works out at around 1 in every 5 rides. That is more than double the horse's overall average, and the kind of partnership worth watching.

Zhang Fei does its best work when the ground is soft and wet underfoot — 2 wins from 8 races in those conditions, a 25% win rate that suggests this is a horse that genuinely comes alive when others are struggling for grip. It also has a clear preference for distance, performing best over two miles or more, where it has won 2 of its 12 races at that trip. Most of its racing life has been spent at Class 5 level — the bread-and-butter end of the sport — but it has placed 12 times in 35 races overall, which means it has been competitive far more often than the win tally alone suggests.

The most recent win came at Fakenham on 22 December 2024, now 17 months ago, and there has been no victory in the last six outings. Recent runs read as 7th, then blank, then 4th, 5th, and 3rd — so still placing, still knocking on the door, but not quite getting through it. With a race just yesterday, Zhang Fei is clearly still very much in training and in the thoughts of the team. Whether another win is coming is impossible to say, but a horse that won on wet ground at Christmas and was placed just a day ago is not finished making its point.