Gentle George

The highlights so far are two wins that came in quick succession last autumn. Gentle George opened the account at Sandown Park on 12 September 2025, then followed up at Haydock Park just a fortnight later on 26 September — two different tracks, same result. Winning away from home, at a venue you haven't visited before, is no small thing for a young horse, and doing it back-to-back suggests a horse that travels and competes without fuss.

The recent form figures, however, tell a more complicated story. Reading from most recent to oldest, they go 10-6-1-1-6 — meaning Gentle George has finished tenth and sixth in its last two outings after those back-to-back wins. That dip is worth watching. A seven-month gap since the last victory is notable, though it is also worth remembering this is still a very young horse finding its feet at a higher level.

At Class 4 — a solid mid-tier level of competition — Gentle George has won 2 of 3 races, a two-in-three win rate that is frankly excellent. The trainer, R Mike Smith, operates out of Galston in East Ayrshire and has had 25 winners already this season, so the yard is in form and clearly knows what it is doing. A horse that wins two in three at its typical level, trained by a yard firing on all cylinders, is one to keep close tabs on. Whether Gentle George can rediscover that autumn sharpness is the interesting question — but the underlying record says the ability is absolutely there.