Holguin

Those Chester wins are not small occasions either. Both came at Class 1 level — the very top tier of British racing — which means Holguin has beaten quality fields on the biggest stages the sport offers. The first Chester win came in July 2023, the second in July 2025, almost exactly two years apart, which gives the whole thing an almost eerie quality. Same track, same time of year, same result. Holguin's very first win came at Newbury back in April 2022, which was the starting point, but Chester is clearly where this horse has flourished.

Holguin is trained by Hamad Al Jehani out of Newmarket — a yard that has sent out 18 winners already this season, so this is not a quiet operation. In the saddle, David Probert has been the regular partner, riding Holguin in 7 of its 16 races and winning twice together. That works out at winning 2 in every 7 rides — roughly 29% — which is a very productive partnership by any measure, and suggests the pair have built a real understanding over time.

One other detail worth noting: Holguin clearly prefers normal ground conditions. On a standard, well-maintained surface, the record reads 2 wins from 5 races — 40%, which is exceptional. That preference is worth remembering when planning where to run a horse and when.

Recent form reads 6-1-3-3-4-4 going back through the last six runs, meaning a win, four placed efforts, and one out-of-the-money finish. For a horse operating almost exclusively at Class 1 level — 9 of its 16 races have come at the top tier — that level of consistency is genuinely impressive. Most horses at this grade are simply making up the numbers. Holguin keeps finishing in the frame, and occasionally winning outright. With that Chester hoodoo already triggered once in 2025, it will be interesting to see where the team point this horse next.