Dartmoor Pirate

The Doncaster win was eye-catching for how it unfolded. Jockey Rex Dingle described being unable to go with the leaders through a strong early pace, then timing a run perfectly as the race settled. Dartmoor Pirate jumped when it counted, even if he was not foot-perfect throughout, and crossed the line with something to spare. Dingle's phrase — "the luxury of a bit of time on our hands" — suggests a horse who found a gear when asked. The important detail here is the phrase "relatively unexposed over fences", meaning he has not yet run enough races jumping obstacles to show exactly how good he might become. That is an exciting thing to say about a horse who has already won at the top level.

He is trained by Anthony Honeyball at a yard in Mosterton, Dorset that has sent out 51 winners already this season — a serious operation producing results. Honeyball spoke back in November about Dartmoor Pirate with genuine enthusiasm, flagging him as a potential Graded-class horse and pointing toward the Cheltenham Festival as a target. Cheltenham is the most prestigious jump racing festival in the world, so that is an ambitious but clearly well-considered ambition.

One thing the numbers make clear: Dartmoor Pirate loves wet, muddy ground. On soft or heavy going he has won 2 of 6 races — a 33% win rate, or 1 in every 3 — compared to a much quieter record on faster surfaces. His main jockey Ben Godfrey has ridden him six times together for 1 win, suggesting the partnership is still finding its rhythm. His form over the last six races reads two wins, a fifth and an eleventh — enough inconsistency to keep punters guessing, but that Class 1 win provides a very definite ceiling. He last raced just yesterday, so there is plenty more to come from this horse.