Invictus Gold

That Class 2 win on 3 May 2025 was particularly revealing. Tom Clover had been waiting specifically to run him on fast, dry ground — Invictus Gold had never experienced it before — and the horse responded with what looked like a genuine step up in class. Clover noted afterwards that the previous time he ran at Newmarket it had rained, effectively blunting what the horse could do. On the right surface, the improvement was immediate. A rating of 103 puts him in serious company for a sprinter, and Clover is now weighing up targets like York's 6-furlong sprint the week before Royal Ascot, or even the Wokingham at Royal Ascot itself — one of the most competitive sprint handicaps of the year.

The partnership with jockey Neil Callan has been a key part of the story. Together they have won 2 of their 5 races — a 40% win rate, or 2 in every 5 rides together — which is a remarkable number at this level. That kind of chemistry between horse and jockey is not something you take for granted.

His recent form tells a slightly complicated story: a nine, a third, two fifths, and an eleventh before the Newmarket win. But Clover's explanation makes sense of it — a horse that was behind in his coat, a setback on the gallops, and conditions that simply did not suit him. When the ground came right, he delivered. It is worth noting that Tom Clover's yard has sent out 23 winners already this season, which means Invictus Gold is one bright spot in a training operation that is clearly firing well. The only question now is which big summer prize they point him at next.