American Style

The two wins paint an interesting picture. The first came at Beverley in September 2024, and the second at Ripon in April 2025, both on normal ground conditions. On that surface, American Style has won 2 of its 6 races — a win rate of 33%, or roughly 1 in 3. That is a very different horse from the one that has gone winless on any other ground. When the track is right, something clicks.

The partnership with jockey Tom Eaves is worth noting. Together they have won 2 of their 5 races — that's a 40% win rate, which in racing terms is exceptional. Two of every five rides ending in victory suggests a genuine understanding between horse and rider, and it's the kind of stat that makes you sit up if you spot them lining up together.

The awkward truth, though, is that American Style has been pitched repeatedly into some of the top races in Britain — Class 2 — and has come up empty every time, losing all six attempts at that level. That isn't a disaster; these are top-level races and simply finishing in the places at that grade is no disgrace. But it does suggest the horse is operating at the ceiling of what it can currently achieve. Raced just yesterday, it is clearly fit and active, and with Ripon winner's form from April still relatively fresh in the memory, the question is whether Ryan finds the right conditions — normal ground, perhaps a step back in class — to coax that third win out of what is, on its day, a genuine competitor.