Alfred Boucher

The headline on his CV is a Class 2 victory at York on 17 August 2022 — one of the top races in Britain, at one of the most prestigious tracks in the country. That was his first career win, and he announced himself on a big stage straight away. It is worth noting that Class 2 racing has been his regular hunting ground ever since, competing at that level in 9 of his 12 races. Winning just 1 of those 9 is a modest return — barely 1 in 9 — but the fact that he keeps being entered at that level tells you the team at Owen Burrows's Lambourn yard believe he belongs there.

Burrows has had a productive season, sending out 30 winners, and Alfred Boucher has just added to that tally. He won at Salisbury earlier this week — a result that makes his recent form look considerably better than it did a fortnight ago. Before that win, his last six runs read a patchy 13th, 9th, a non-finish, and a second — the kind of sequence that tests patience. The Salisbury win is a reminder that a bit of confidence and the right conditions can unlock a horse that has gone quiet.

Those conditions matter here. Alfred Boucher has won 2 of his 6 races on normal ground — a win rate of 33%, or roughly 1 in every 3 races — which is a striking contrast to his overall record. In other words, get him on a decent surface and he becomes a genuinely different proposition. For anyone watching him, that is the key detail to keep in mind. He raced just yesterday and remains active, so there is clearly more to come from a horse who, at ten, is proving that age is no barrier to landing a race when everything lines up right.