Copper Knight

Those wins haven't come in easy spots, either. All three of his Class 2 victories — which are among the top races in Britain — came at three different tracks: Doncaster in October 2021, Chester in June 2022, and Pontefract in July 2023. Winning one race at that level as a horse gets older is an achievement. Winning three, spread across nearly two years, at separate tracks, tells you this isn't a horse that got lucky once. Jockey Duran Fentiman, speaking after the Chester win, called him "a super old boy and a proper racehorse" — and you can hear the genuine affection in that. William Easterby, assistant to trainer Tim Easterby, described him as "a real yard superstar" and "a legend" after Pontefract, and it's hard to argue.

The conditions matter too. On wet or muddy ground, Copper Knight wins 3 from 9 races — that's 1 in every 3, which is a remarkable ratio. Even on slightly soft ground he wins nearly 1 in every 3 attempts (4 from 13). When the weather turns, this horse turns with it. And at Pontefract specifically, he has won 2 of the 3 races he has ever run there — a record that makes him as close to a course specialist as the sport produces.

Tim Easterby's yard has sent out 126 winners this season alone, which is the output of an operation that knows exactly what it's doing. Sean Kirrane, who rides Copper Knight most regularly, has won 4 of their 15 races together — roughly 1 in every 4 — a partnership built on genuine familiarity. Two wins from the last six races, including one just last week, suggest there is still more to come. At 12, Copper Knight isn't winding down. He's still turning up and beating horses half his age.