El Granjero

The recent form tells an interesting story. His last six runs read 4-2-5-2-2-1, which means after a slightly patchy spell in the middle, he has been knocking on the door race after race and has now knocked it clean off its hinges. That win came at Perth just this week — a reminder that El Granjero is very much a horse in form, not one coasting on past glories.

His record in wet or muddy conditions stands out. From six races on soft or heavy ground, he has won twice — that is 1 in every 3 races, which is a significantly better return than his overall figures suggest. For context, his overall win rate is roughly 1 in every 6 races (18%), so when the rain comes down, he becomes a meaningfully different proposition. His trainer Clive Boultbee-Brooks, based at Woolhope in Herefordshire, will be well aware of that — the yard has sent out 9 winners this season and knows how to place a horse to its best advantage.

Perhaps the most striking number in El Granjero's record is what he has done at Hereford. He has won 2 of his 3 races there, including his first career victory in March 2024. Winning two-thirds of your races at any track is remarkable — it suggests the course genuinely suits him, whether that is the track shape, the ground it tends to produce, or simply familiarity built over time. Most horses race at dozens of tracks without ever finding one they truly love. El Granjero has found his.

The one puzzle is his record at Class 3 level — the grade he most often competes at — where he has won none of his 10 races at that level. All three wins have come when dropped slightly in class. Regular jockey Richard Patrick has ridden him in 11 of those races together for just 1 win, so the partnership has not always clicked. But with a win this week and form that keeps delivering places when it does not deliver victories, El Granjero is a horse worth keeping an eye on.