Blue Prince

What makes those four wins significant is where they came from. His first arrived at York in July 2023, one of British racing's most celebrated tracks, and he followed that up by winning a Class 2 race at Newcastle on New Year's Day 2024 — that is one of the top tiers of racing in Britain, the kind of company where most horses are simply making up the numbers. The fact that Blue Prince won at that level suggests there is genuine quality here, even if he has not always been able to reproduce it consistently. His most recent win came at Goodwood in July 2024, now 22 months ago, which is a long time in racing terms for an active horse.

The clearest picture of where Blue Prince is most dangerous comes over shorter trips. At distances between five and six-and-a-half furlongs, he has won 3 of his 14 races — that is 21%, or roughly 1 in every 5 — which is a much sharper return than his overall record suggests. In other words, get him at the right distance and he becomes a different proposition. At Class 2 level, however, the winning percentage drops to just 7%, with 1 win from 14 races, which reflects how demanding that grade is day in, day out.

He is trained by David Evans at his yard in Pandy, Monmouthshire, and the operation has been in fine form this season with 37 winners sent out. Blue Prince raced just one day ago, so he is firmly in the thick of his campaign. His recent form figures — finishing between seventh and tenth in his last six outings — suggest he is searching for a bit of his old spark, but a horse who has won at Class 2 level at Goodwood and Newcastle clearly has the ability to deliver on the right day.