Andesite

The broader record, though, is harder to spin. One win from eleven races — roughly 1 in every 11 outings — and nothing to show from the last six runs, with recent finishes of 5th, 6th, 16th, 7th, 12th, and 5th reading like a horse that is knocking on doors without quite getting through them. That York win is now two years in the rearview mirror, which makes it feel increasingly like a high-water mark rather than a foundation to build on.

There is a sliver of hope in the Class 2 record specifically. At that level — the top races in Britain — Andesite has won 1 from 5, which works out at 20%, or roughly 1 in every 5 races. That is a meaningful number. It suggests the horse is not simply being placed in races above its ability; it is genuinely competitive at the top end when things click. Fell himself was clearly excited after that York win, describing Andesite as a high-class horse and talking up entries at Royal Ascot. The trainer's mention of the horse's half-sister Dramatised, who won a prestigious race at the same track, hints at real family quality running through the bloodline.

Fell's yard has been in good form this season, sending out 23 winners, so the infrastructure and confidence is there. Andesite is still active — it raced just yesterday — and at four years old there is theoretically time to find that winning feeling again. But with six races since that last victory and nothing to show, the question is whether York in May 2024 was a glimpse of what this horse can be, or the best it will ever be. The form line says one thing; that Class 2 win at one of England's great tracks says another.