Empire De Maulde

That one win is the thread that ties everything together. It came at Kelso on 23 October 2021, in a Class 2 race — one of the top-tier events in British racing. Winning 1 from 4 at that level is a 25% win rate, which is actually a strong record in races that competitive. It suggests Empire De Maulde is not just making up the numbers at that standard; when the conditions are right, this horse belongs there.

The problem is that win was 55 months ago, and the six races since have produced nothing better than a second place — several of them, in fact, with a string of runner-up finishes that will be familiar and slightly maddening to anyone who has followed this horse closely. The recent form of 2-7-4-2-2 is a mixed picture: the placing is still there, the competitiveness is still there, but the winning moment has not come. At 12, horses do not tend to suddenly rediscover that form, though Empire De Maulde raced just yesterday, which means the team clearly believes there is still something worth running for.

What makes this horse interesting is not the win total — it is the level at which that one win arrived, and the stubborn consistency of a horse that keeps finishing in the mix even now. A career of 6 places from 13 races means nearly half of all outings have ended with a cheque. That is a horse earning its keep, even without adding to its tally.