Act Of Authority

His record reads: wins in roughly 1 in every 4 races overall (23%, or 5 from 22), with a further 11 places — so he has rarely run a bad race. The partnership with Sean Bowen is worth noting: Bowen has ridden him 10 times and won 3 of them, a win rate of 30%, which is meaningfully better than Act Of Authority's overall average. When those two click, things tend to happen.

The most recent win came at Wetherby in November 2024, and after the race the owner's representative called it "never in any doubt", suggesting a step up in class was coming. That step has proved tougher. In the nine races he has run at Class 2 level — the top tier of British racing — he has not won once. It is not a disgrace; these are the best races around and he has placed repeatedly, but the breakthrough has not come. What is clear is that he handles the big-occasion atmosphere well. Trainer Olly Murphy — whose yard has sent out 146 winners this season alone, making Wilmcote one of the busiest and most successful operations in the country — says Act Of Authority "loves the hustle and bustle of a big race".

He has not won in his last six races, with recent form reading 9-5-8-4-3-4 from most recent backwards — some runs to forget, some encouraging placings. But Murphy is not worried. Plans are in place for a run at Ascot followed by a tilt at the Martin Pipe, a famous big-field race in which Act Of Authority finished second last year, narrowly beaten by a horse Murphy describes as a serious improver. Second in a race like that, against a rival of that quality, is no embarrassment. At eight, with a sharp trainer, a trusted jockey, and a horse his team still believe is ahead of his rating, there may yet be one more chapter worth watching.