Hurstwood

The headline number is this: on dry, fast ground, Hurstwood wins 4 times from every 7 races. That is a 57% win rate, which in racing terms borders on the extraordinary. To put it simply, when the sun has been out and the ground is firm underfoot, this horse is very hard to beat. He is also no slouch on slightly soft ground, winning 2 from 8 races there (25%), so he is not entirely dependent on sunshine. What he clearly does not need is deep mud — the wet and heavy stuff appears to be where his form dries up.

Then there is Redcar. The seaside track in North Yorkshire has been the scene of 3 of his 7 career wins from just 9 visits, and it is where he got off the mark back in July 2022. Winning a third of your races at one track is the kind of record that makes people pay attention when the entries come out. Niven's yard clearly knows how to have Hurstwood right for that course.

At Class 6 level — the bread-and-butter tier of British racing, where most everyday horses spend their careers — Hurstwood has won 7 of 44 races, roughly 1 in every 6. That is a solid return at his level. His most recent win came at Nottingham in October 2025, seven months ago, so there is a wait for the winning feeling to return. His last six runs read 4-9-7-6-1-10, which shows the Nottingham victory sandwiched between some quieter efforts, though he raced just yesterday so the yard are clearly keeping him busy.

Jockey Aiden Brookes has ridden him in 15 of those races and partnered him to 2 wins — winning roughly 1 in every 7 times they team up. Peter Niven's yard has sent out 12 winners already this season, so the operation is in decent health. With dry ground and Redcar in the picture, Hurstwood remains a horse worth keeping an eye on.