Amateur

Across 25 races in total, Amateur has won 3 and placed 5 more times — a win rate of roughly 1 in every 8 races, or 12%. That is a modest overall record, but it masks where the talent actually lives. On normal ground conditions, the horse transforms: 3 wins from 8 races, which works out at 38%, or nearly 2 in every 5. That is a completely different animal to the horse that struggles on other surfaces. Most of its racing has come at Class 3 level, which sits in the middle tier of British racing — competitive enough that finishing in the top few is no accident, but not quite the elite stage. There, it has won just 1 from 13, so the big days have proven tough.

Amateur's most recent win came at Ffos Las in May 2024 — now 24 months ago — and recent form shows a horse that has not added to its tally in the last 6 races, with finishes of 5th, 4th, 8th, 3rd, an absence, and 4th. That 3rd place suggests there is still something to work with, and the Flint yard has been in decent nick this season, sending out 7 winners. Connor Brace, who rides Amateur most regularly, has won 1 from 5 together — 20%, which is actually a better rate than the horse's overall record, so that partnership is worth watching.

Raced just yesterday and still active at 13, Amateur is well into the veteran stage for a racehorse. The question now is simple: can the team find another opportunity at Ffos Las on normal ground? Because when those two things line up, this horse has a habit of surprising people.