Ascending

That single success at that distance came at the top level. On 17 June 2025, Ascending won a Class 2 race at Ascot, which matters because Class 2 races are among the best races run in Britain. De Bromhead's post-race comments tell you everything about how it happened: the trainer had wanted to run at a mile and a half but couldn't get into that race, so he dropped Ascending into the mile-and-a-quarter race instead — and it won anyway. That kind of flexibility and well-placed optimism is what separates good training from luck.

What's less encouraging is that Ascending hasn't won since. It last raced just a day ago and has had six runs without a victory in that stretch, finishing 4th, 6th, 10th, 7th, 6th, and 2nd. The recent second-place finish suggests it's still competitive, but there's a clear pattern here: wins are becoming rarer. At Class 4 level, where it typically races, Ascending has won only once from seven races — a 14% win rate. Its regular jockey, Rachael Blackmore, has ridden it six times without a win.

De Bromhead's November comments hint at where the horse is headed next. The trainer suggested giving it one more run on the Flat at Dundalk before switching Ascending back to hurdles for the winter, specifically mentioning a novice hurdle chase around Christmas. He noted the horse's jumping form was good, which suggests the trainer believes there may be better opportunities over obstacles than the horse is finding on the Flat right now. After 14 months without a win, that pivot back to what Ascending was originally bought for might be the right move.