Ziggy's Condor

The real story lies in the specifics. Over middle distances between 5 furlongs and 6½ furlongs, the horse has won 3 of its 25 races — a 12% win rate that more than doubles its overall average. More telling still: in Class 4 races, where the standard drops slightly from top competition, Ziggy's Condor has won 3 of just 17 starts, a strong 18% win rate. Put those two facts together and you have a horse with clear preferences. Its last victory came at Newcastle on 24 January, now nine months in the past, suggesting recent form has been harder to come by. The most recent six races tell that story plainly: an 18th place finish last time out, with two top-three finishes in that run but nothing better than second.

Trainer Adam Kirby, operating from Kirtling in Newmarket, has found the formula that works for this horse — it is the right trip and the right level of race that bring out the best. However, regular jockey Oisin Orr has yet to record a win aboard across eight rides, which hints that perhaps the pair have not quite clicked or that opportunities have simply not aligned. At five years old and still actively racing after just one day away, Ziggy's Condor remains a working member of the yard: dependable, occasionally capable of winning, but a horse that needs careful placement to shine.