Hectic

The trouble is that Hectic has mostly been asked to operate at Class 4 level, and at that grade he has gone 0 from 10 — ten races, zero wins. It is a strange contradiction: a horse who can be devastating in short-distance races but has never managed to convert at the level he is most often entered at. Bailey has spoken candidly about Hectic's temperament being a factor in his development, and the trainer has noted that a bad experience early in his career knocked the horse back mentally for a period. When things click, though, Bailey describes him as almost self-sufficient — a horse that practically trains himself.

The recent form makes the picture more interesting. Looking at his last six races — 14th, 4th, 4th, 9th, 1st, 4th — that win in the middle of the sequence came at Ripon in June 2025, giving the yard some evidence that he can still produce at his best. He raced just yesterday, so he is bang in the middle of his season right now. Regular rider Billy Garritty has won 1 of the 6 races they have had together, roughly one in six, which is a reasonable partnership without being a dominant one.

Bailey's yard has been in good form this season with 17 winners sent out, and Hectic's first career win at Newbury back in July 2022 showed he can handle a big occasion. He is a horse who asks you to be patient with a patchy overall record but rewards you when you look at the specific conditions where he genuinely thrives. Get him at the right distance and he is a different animal entirely.