Irv

Irv races at Class 6, which is the entry level of British racing, and that is where he has found all three of his wins. He has been tried in better company at times, but it is at this level where he is most competitive — winning 3 from 27 races at Class 6, around 1 in every 9, which is a reasonable return for a horse of his profile. His preferred trip is between a mile and a furlong and a mile and two furlongs, where he has won 2 from 14 races. That is a 14% win rate at his best distance, which stands out against his overall 8% career average — small numbers, but the pattern is real.

The ground makes a genuine difference to Irv. On fast, dry ground he has won 2 of 10 races — that is 1 in every 5, which is a notably better return than his overall record suggests. When conditions go against him, so do his results, so the team will be watching the forecast carefully. His regular partner is jockey Aiden Brookes, and together they have won 2 of 18 races — roughly 1 in every 9 — which makes Brookes by far the most successful rider in Irv's corner.

He is trained by Micky Hammond at Middleham in North Yorkshire, a yard that has sent out 24 winners this season and clearly knows how to place a horse to give it its best chance. Irv raced just yesterday, so he is in the thick of an active campaign. At ten years old, with his first win coming at Beverley back in July 2022, he has been around the block. The question for his team is whether the right combination of dry ground and a suitable trip can bring him back to the winner's enclosure for the first time in nearly two years.