Count Palatine

He is trained by Michael Dods at Piercebridge in County Durham, and that is a yard worth paying attention to right now — 43 winners sent out this season alone, which is the kind of output that tells you horses are arriving fit and ready. Count Palatine fits naturally into Class 4 company, which is a solid, competitive level without being the very top tier. At that grade he has won 2 from 11 races, or roughly 1 in every 5 — a respectable return in what are genuinely competitive fields.

Connor Beasley has been the regular partner in the saddle, and the numbers back that relationship up clearly: 2 wins from 8 races together, a win rate of 1 in 4. That is a strong pairing by any measure, and when you see Beasley booked, it is worth sitting up. Count Palatine opened his account at Thirsk in September 2024 and earned his most recent win at Ayr in September 2025 — two northern tracks that suit the yard's base perfectly.

His recent form reads 10-13-2-1-6-6, with that win eight months ago sandwiched between some races where he found himself well down the field. The last couple of outings have been tougher, but crucially he raced just one day ago and is clearly in the thick of a busy campaign. Horses like Count Palatine do not always pick the right moment to strike, but they have a habit of popping up when the conditions suit. With Dods in such sharp form and a proven partner on board, it would be no surprise to see him find the front again before long.