That Sandown win is worth dwelling on. It was not a one-off — Classic has won 2 of his 7 races at the track, making him as close to a course specialist as you will find. Some horses simply suit certain venues, whether it is the shape of the bends, the rise and fall of the ground, or something harder to explain. Whatever Sandown does for Classic, it clearly suits him. The fact that he has also just won at Newbury — in the Spring Cup, one of the better flat races of the spring — suggests this is not simply a one-track story.
Trainer Richard Hannon, who has sent out 118 winners already this season from his Wiltshire base, has been openly enthusiastic. He has said Classic is a "Group horse waiting to happen" — Group races are the very top tier of the sport — and that he believes the horse has been on the upgrade since being gelded. That is a surgical procedure that can, in some cases, settle a horse mentally and unlock a more consistent version of them. Based on recent form, it looks like that is exactly what has happened here.
Pat Dobbs has ridden Classic in 16 of his 24 races, winning 2 of them, which works out at around 1 win in every 8 rides together. That is modest on the surface, but the pair have clearly been building towards something: Classic spends most of his time competing in Class 2 races, which are among the better races in Britain, and winning even 1 in 15 at that level — as the record shows — is genuinely hard. Back in August 2022, he opened his account at Newmarket; he has been tested at the top end of the sport ever since, and he is only just starting to look like he belongs there.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newbury Galloping |
10 | 1 win, 2 seconds, 2 thirds, 5 other | 16 May | 10% |
| Sandown Park Galloping |
7 | 2 wins, 2 seconds, 3 other | 5 Jul | 28.6% |
| Goodwood Undulating |
3 | 1 second, 2 other | 2 Aug | 0% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 16 Aug | 50% |
| Ascot Galloping |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 26 Jul | 0% |