Cherry Hill

The recent form makes for tough reading: the last six runs have returned finishes of 13th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 10th, and 7th. No places, no near misses — just mid-to-back-of-the-field efforts that suggest Cherry Hill is currently some way below its best. At the level this horse typically competes at — Class 6, which is the entry level of British racing — it has won just 1 of 12 races, or around 8%. Even at this tier, where the competition is at its most accessible, Cherry Hill has found winning difficult to come by.

There is a sliver of encouragement in the distance profile. Over 7 furlongs to a mile, Cherry Hill has won 1 from 8 races, which works out at 12% — double the overall win rate and the best figures the horse posts across any trip. That is where the Kempton victory came, and it remains the most logical place to look for improvement. Dominic Ffrench Davis has sent out 10 winners from Lambourn this season, so the yard is in decent form, even if Cherry Hill has not yet benefited from it.

The honest summary is this: one win from 21 races, nothing in the last 31 months, and recent form that would not inspire confidence. But Cherry Hill is still only five, still active, and still being trained by a yard that knows how to win races. Sometimes horses find a second wind, and the right race at the right distance can change a story quickly. For now, though, Cherry Hill is a horse whose best day remains firmly in the past.