A Jet Of Our Own

That single win came at Cheltenham in May 2024, which is significant. Cheltenham is the most famous and demanding jumping track in Britain, a course that sorts out the pretenders from the genuine article. Winning there, even at the lower end of the sport, means something. The trouble is, it was the last time this horse has been in the winner's enclosure — now 24 months ago — and the six races since have brought nothing better than third place, most recently finishing 17th just yesterday.

What makes A Jet Of Our Own genuinely interesting is a small piece of insight from the trainer. The horse had previously won point-to-points over three miles — long-distance grassroots races run in the amateur world — and looked like a stayer on the strength of it. But the trainer never quite believed it. The suspicion was that A Jet Of Our Own was simply the best horse in those particular fields, not necessarily built for the longer trip. When the distance was shortened, that theory was tested, and it seems to have been borne out. It is a reminder that racing form is not always as straightforward as it looks: a horse can win, and still be racing at the wrong distance.

Frederick Philipson-Stow rides regularly, partnering the horse in seven of its nine career races and claiming that sole win together, a win rate of around 1 in 7 (14%). The pair clearly have a settled relationship, even if results have been hard to come by lately. A Jet Of Our Own operates mainly at Class 5 — the everyday, bread-and-butter level of the sport — and has won 1 from 7 at that level, so there is no obvious case for stepping up in class any time soon.

Still active and still running, the horse is in the later stages of what has been a modest career. The next win may not come easily, but for a team that has already figured out the distance puzzle, there is at least a sense that they know what they are working with.