Havana Blue

The most compelling chapter in Havana Blue's story is written at Newmarket. Two wins from 7 races there makes him a genuine course specialist, and that matters more than it sounds. Newmarket's straight track is unforgiving — there is nowhere to hide, no bend to help a horse find momentum. The fact that Havana Blue returns there again and again and wins at a rate of 2 from 7 (nearly 1 in every 3 attempts) suggests the place genuinely suits how he moves and how he races. His very first career win came there in May 2023, and the track has been kind to him ever since.

He is trained by Julie Camacho, whose yard at Norton in North Yorkshire has already sent out 46 winners this season — a clear sign that the stable is in strong form. Camacho has spoken warmly about Havana Blue, pointing to a stiff seven-furlong test at Ascot as the kind of challenge he could thrive in, particularly on fast, dry ground. That is a telling comment. It tells you this is a horse the yard genuinely believes in, not just a number to fill a card. His usual jockey, John Fahy, was similarly direct after a win at Newmarket, noting that Havana Blue had hated the wet and muddy conditions at Goodwood on his previous run — the better surface made all the difference.

That ground sensitivity might explain some of the lean spell. Most of his recent action has come at Class 3 level, one step below the top tier, where he has won just 1 from 9 races (around 1 in every 9 outings at that grade). He has been competitive — seven places from 24 career races tells you he is rarely far away — but converting those near-misses into wins has proved harder lately. Having raced as recently as yesterday, he remains active and presumably in good shape. If Camacho finds him a fast-ground day at a track that suits, particularly Newmarket, the patience may yet be rewarded.