Ardaddy

Appleby is one of the more productive trainers in the country right now, having sent out 74 winners this season alone — so when he says a horse has been underperforming, it's worth paying attention. Back in September 2024 he was already flagging Ardaddy as a horse with hidden ability, one carrying a low rating of 55 that didn't reflect what he'd seen on the gallops. That's the trainer's way of saying the handicapper has given him a chance — and eventually, the horse took it.

That moment came at Southwell on 30 October 2025, when Ardaddy finally broke through for his first career win. Southwell is an all-weather track in Nottinghamshire, the kind of venue where horses with modest ratings can find their comfort zone, and over seven furlongs to a mile — his preferred range — Ardaddy put it all together. It had taken a while: he'd run five times without a win before Appleby even made those early comments, and plenty more after, but the win came.

Since then, though, the form has gone quiet. He hasn't won in his last six races, with recent finishes of sixth, fifth, and seventh hardly suggesting a horse about to go on a run. He typically competes at Class 6, the lowest tier of British racing, and has won just 1 from 14 races at that level — about 1 in every 14. His regular partner Oliver Stammers has ridden him in eight of those races, winning once together, which works out at roughly 1 in every 8 rides. Decent, but not dominant.

What makes Ardaddy worth watching is precisely that gap between expectation and delivery. He's a horse his trainer has publicly backed, racing at the level where a fit, confident performance can change everything quickly. He raced just yesterday, so there's plenty of life in this story yet.