Just Aidan

Those victories came at Lingfield Park in January and Wincanton in March, and the Wincanton win was only 13 months ago, so this is not a horse living off distant memories. It competes at Class 5, which is the entry level of British racing — the bread-and-butter tier where most horses spend their careers, with prize money to match. It is honest, competitive racing, and Just Aidan has won 2 of its 14 races at that level, or about 1 in every 7, which is a perfectly respectable contribution.

The partnership with jockey James Best stands out. Together they have won 2 from 8 races — that is 1 in every 4, which is a strong ratio in any sport, let alone one where eight opponents are trying to beat you. When a jockey and horse click like that, trainers notice, and it is clearly a combination Harriet Dickin's yard trusts. Dickin, based in Somerset and training out of Midford, has sent out 4 winners this season, so the stable is in decent nick.

The distances where Just Aidan does best — between a mile and six furlongs and two miles — are the longer end of the spectrum, and that suits a horse that probably needs time to warm into a race. It has won 1 from 6 at those trips, which at 17% means roughly 1 in every 6 runs converts to a win. That is its best range, and it is worth noting.

The last six races have produced no win, and the recent form figures — a third and a fifth before a few blanks — suggest it is competitive but not quite firing. It raced just yesterday, so fitness is not in question. The question is whether another purple patch like early 2025 is building. Given how quickly things clicked last time, it would be unwise to write Just Aidan off entirely.