Cavolo Nero

The two wins tell an interesting story on their own. The first came at Southwell in January 2025, a useful starting point, but the second — and more recent — arrived at Goodwood in May 2025. Goodwood is one of British racing's most prestigious and unusual venues, a hillside track on the South Downs that rewards horses with a particular kind of athleticism. Winning there means something. It suggests Cavolo Nero is capable of stepping up when the setting demands it.

James Ferguson, the Newmarket-based trainer responsible for this horse, has had a productive season — 28 winners sent out so far, which is a strong return for any yard. His most regular partner in the saddle is Daniel Muscutt, and between them they have won 1 from 5 races together, a win rate of roughly 1 in 5, which broadly mirrors the horse's overall record. The partnership works.

The honest observation, though, is that Cavolo Nero has not won in its last 6 races, with form reading 4-3-2-3-4-8 coming into its most recent run — just one day ago, so this horse is very much in active campaign. The placing figures show it keeps finding the frame and running competitively at Class 4 level, which represents a solid middle tier of British racing. But that second-place finish in the sequence is tantalising — close, but not converting. Whether the horse is due a change in luck or needs conditions to fall just right is the question worth watching.

With 7 places from 11 races overall, Cavolo Nero is the kind of horse that keeps rewarding patience — you rarely come away empty-handed. The next win may well come somewhere that suits, and given what happened at Goodwood, it might come on a big occasion rather than a quiet Tuesday afternoon.