Hillview

His finest hour came at Uttoxeter in June 2022, when he landed a top-level Class 2 race in the style of a horse going places. Jockey Sean Bowen noted afterwards that Hillview picked up strongly and is a natural stayer — the kind of horse who builds momentum rather than exploding early, and who rewards a patient ride. That partnership with Bowen has been the engine of his career: together they have won 5 from 13 races, a win rate of 38%, which means they click into gear roughly 2 in every 5 times they line up together. That is a remarkable figure.

The difficulty is that Uttoxeter win was now 46 months ago. Hillview has gone six races without winning since, and trainer Gary Hanmer has been candid about why. The horse tweaked a suspensory injury that forced a halt to his campaign, and he is only now working his way back. Hanmer, whose yard in Tattenhall, Cheshire has sent out 19 winners this season — a busy, productive operation — has been open about the uncertainty too: at 10 years old, he is not certain whether Hillview can return to the level he once showed. Crucially, the horse wants fast, dry ground to be at his best, which narrows the windows when he can be aimed properly.

His recent form shows a mixed picture — finishes of 7th, pulled up, 4th, pulled up, 8th, and pulled up across his last six outings — and he raced just yesterday, so he is firmly in training and being kept busy. The question hovering over Hillview is whether a horse with the talent to win at the highest domestic level, partnered by one of the country's leading jockeys, can rediscover that magic after injury and the passage of time. On fast ground, with Bowen in the saddle, the answer might still surprise people.