Copper And Five

His trainer Ruth Carr, based in Stillington in North Yorkshire, knows exactly what she's working with. Her yard has been in fine form this season — 63 winners and counting — and Carr is refreshingly honest about where Copper And Five fits into that picture. He tends to win once a year, she says, and he usually needs a run or two to find his rhythm before he hits that sweet spot. If that pattern holds, the time to sit up and pay attention is his second or third outing of any campaign. His last win came at Beverley in May 2025, almost exactly twelve months ago — so the clock is ticking.

His most frequent partner in the saddle is Joanna Mason, who has ridden him in 22 of his 40 races, winning twice together. That works out at roughly 1 win in every 11 rides — modest, but Copper And Five is a horse that asks for patience rather than promises. Mason clearly understands him. After one win at Doncaster, she described how the team had noticed him pulling too hard when tucked in behind other horses, so they let him bowl along at the front instead — and he fought all the way to the line. Even then, she'd had to re-saddle him at the start after her saddle slipped on the way out. It wasn't exactly a textbook operation, but he won anyway.

What makes this horse genuinely touching is the detail that his owner bred him themselves. When the racing is done, he'll go home rather than be sold on. That kind of continuity is rare in this sport, and it explains why he's still out there at ten, competitive enough at Class 5 level, well within himself, and apparently perfectly happy. One win a year from a horse who is sound, willing, and loved — in racing, that's a pretty decent deal for everyone involved.