Charlatan

Charlatan wins roughly 1 in every 7 races overall — 5 from 34 — which is a modest rate, but the recent form paints a more interesting picture. In the last six runs the finishes read 4-5-2-7-1-2, meaning four of those six efforts have resulted in a place, and the one win in that sequence came at Wolverhampton on 27 December 2025. That is a horse in decent nick, consistently competitive rather than one that disappears into the pack. It last raced just 18 days ago, so it arrives here in good shape from an active campaign.

The jockey partnership with Callum Shepherd is worth noting. In 13 races together they have won 5 times — that is winning roughly 2 in every 5 rides, a remarkably high rate that suggests a genuine understanding between horse and rider. For context, Charlatan's overall win rate across all jockeys is less than half of that. When Shepherd is in the saddle, something clicks.

The training operation behind Charlatan is David Simcock's yard in Newmarket, one of the most respected bases in British racing. With 41 winners already sent out this season, this is a stable that knows how to have a horse ready to run. Charlatan typically competes at Class 6, the entry level of British racing, where it has found the winner's enclosure 5 times from 28 races — winning roughly 1 in every 6 at that level. It is a horse that operates in the bread-and-butter end of the sport, but within that world it has carved out a clear identity: tough, placed more often than not, and quietly dangerous when conditions and company align.