Beelzebub

Trainer David Loughnane, based at Stoke Heath in Shropshire, clearly had high hopes early on. Beelzebub did not see a racecourse until late in his first season, but by only his third outing he had already figured out what racing was about — winning over six furlongs at Chelmsford in December 2022. Loughnane noted at the time that off his opening mark he looked capable of more, and singled out a race at Newcastle as an ideal next target. He was right: Beelzebub duly went to Newcastle and won, and that remains his most recent victory, now 27 months ago.

Since then, nine places from his last six runs — including a pair of fourth-place finishes and a seventh — suggest a horse that is competitive without quite finding the front. His best results have consistently come on normal ground, where he has won all three of his races, going 3 from 17 in those conditions (roughly 1 in every 6 outings). That is a meaningful pattern. When the track is soft or dry, the results dry up too.

The partnership with jockey Daniel Muscutt is worth watching. In seven races together, Muscutt has ridden him to 2 wins — a win rate of 29%, or almost 1 in every 3 rides. That comfortably outstrips Beelzebub's overall record and suggests the pair have a real understanding. Meanwhile, Loughnane's yard has been in fine form this season, sending out 38 winners, which means this is not a stable running on empty.

Beelzebub raced just yesterday, so he is bang in the middle of an active campaign. The long wait since that Newcastle win — over two years — might feel discouraging, but a horse that keeps placing, keeps racing, and keeps performing on its favoured surface is a horse that still has a win in it somewhere. The question is simply when.