Gaboriot

The key detail is where his ambitions are pointed. The team at Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero's yard in Cheshire have been open about the plan: the Becher Chase and, beyond that, the Foxhunters' at Aintree. These are not small targets. The Foxhunters' is run over the full Grand National fences — the kind of race that stops casual viewers in their tracks. What makes this more than wishful thinking is that Gaboriot has already shown he belongs in that conversation. He finished third in the Becher last year, was made favourite for the same race before it was cancelled, and then ran what his trainer called "a blinder" when finishing second in the Grand Sefton at Aintree more recently. Three strong runs around those same famous fences is not a coincidence — it is a pattern. Josh Guerriero put it plainly: "He loves it and comes alive over the fences."

It has not always looked this tidy. Gaboriot's last win came at Cartmel back in May 2024, nearly two years ago now, and he has not won in his last six races. Oliver Greenall acknowledged as much after a run at Doncaster — "he was a good horse but lost his way a bit" — which makes his recent form feel more like a revival than a plateau. Finishes of second and third in his last two completed runs suggest something is clicking again at exactly the right time.

The ground matters too. He has won 3 of his 9 races on wet or muddy ground — a 33% win rate — and an identical 33% on normal conditions, winning 2 of 6. That versatility is useful, because Aintree in the spring can offer almost anything. His most frequent jockey, Henry Brooke, is yet to win together from five attempts, but given the horse is being pointed at some of the most prestigious jumping targets in the calendar, that partnership may simply not have had the right opportunity yet. The Becher and the Foxhunters' will tell us a great deal more.