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Look Back Smiling

There's a horse out there who has found a way to make Doncaster feel like home, and that alone makes Look Back Smiling worth knowing about. In 48 career races, this six-year-old has won 5 times and finished in the places on 14 other occasions — a win rate of roughly 1 in every 10 races. That sounds modest until you zoom in on the Doncaster numbers: 2 wins from 9 races there, which is more than double the usual rate. For a horse that competes mostly at the mid-level of the sport, finding a track where you consistently perform above your average is genuinely valuable, and Doncaster is clearly where this one finds something extra.Based on TrackLab's AI analysis
Quick Facts
Age
6 years old
Sex
Gelding
Colour
Chestnut
Father
Fast Company
Mother
Portico
Owner
Exors of the Late Mr John Hobbs
Rating
68

📊 Key Numbers

Career statistics for this horse
48
Career races
5
Wins
10.4%
Win rate
avg ~10%
29.2%
Place rate (top 3)
avg ~30%
1 days
Since last race

🔍 Full Analysis

TrackLab's AI-generated assessment based on career data and recent form
TrackLab's Detailed Breakdown
Auto-Generated

The standout moment of the career came at that same track on 23 March 2024, when Look Back Smiling won a Class 2 race — one of the top tier events in British racing. For a horse that typically lines up in Class 4 company, where it has won 2 of 17 races (about 1 in 8), stepping up and winning at that level is a real marker of ability on the right day. The first career win came back in August 2022 at Pontefract, so this is a horse that has been around the block and knows what it's doing.

The current form tells a different story, however. The last 6 races have brought finishes of 5th, 7th, 11th, 6th, 9th, and 10th — nothing threatening the front, and no winner's enclosure in 25 months. That Doncaster victory is starting to feel like a while ago. Jockey Laura Coughlan, who knows this horse better than anyone having ridden it 7 times, has one win from those 7 rides together — about 1 in 7 — but has not been able to find the key recently.

The yard behind the horse belongs to Neil Mulholland, based in Limpley Stoke in Wiltshire, and it has been in strong form this season with 60 winners sent out. The team clearly knows what they are doing, and the fact that Look Back Smiling is still active and racing suggests they believe there is another good day in the horse yet. Whether that day comes back at Doncaster — the one place this horse has consistently delivered — remains the most interesting question around it.

Strengths & Risks

What the data says works for and against this horse
✓ What works in their favour
Excellent record on standard ground: 1 wins from 6 starts (17%)
Excellent record on heavy ground: 1 wins from 6 starts (17%)
Excellent record on good_to_firm ground: 1 wins from 3 starts (33%)
⚠ What to watch out for
Poor record on good_to_soft ground: 0 wins from 6 starts
Poor record on good ground: 0 wins from 5 starts
Poor record on standard_to_slow ground: 0 wins from 4 starts

🎯 Where This Horse Thrives

Performance broken down by ground, distance, class, and track type
🌧 Ground Conditions
Standard (all-weather)
Loves
Heavy (very wet)
Loves
Good to firm (drying out)
Loves
Soft (muddy)
Good to soft (some give)
Avoids
Good (firm-ish)
Avoids
Standard to slow (all-weather)
Avoids
📏 Race Distance
7F – 1M
5F – 6½F
Unknown
1M1F – 1M2F
Avoids
1M3F – 1M4F
Avoids
🏅 Competition Level
Class 2 (high-level)
Class 3 (mid-level)
Avoids
Class 4 (standard)
Class 5 (entry-level)
🏟 Track Shape
Right-handed, tight turns
Loves
Left-handed, hilly
Loves
Left-handed, long straights
Ok
Left-handed, tight
Unknown
Right-handed, long straights
Avoids
Right-handed, hilly
Avoids

📅 Recent Runs

The last 10 races, most recent first
5 Apr
10th
Bath
1m1f – 1m2f · Good · 11 runners
22 Nov
9th
Newcastle
1m1f – 1m2f · Standard · 12 runners
8 Nov
6th
Doncaster
7f – 1m · Heavy · 21 runners
4 Nov
11th
Redcar
7f – 1m · Good · 14 runners
25 Oct
7th
Doncaster
1m1f – 1m2f · Heavy · 14 runners
17 Oct
5th
Newcastle
1m1f – 1m2f · Standard · 6 runners
20 Sep
4th
Ayr
7f – 1m · Soft · 14 runners
5 Sep
3rd
Ascot
1m1f – 1m2f · Soft · 10 runners
19 Jul
4th
Doncaster
7f – 1m · Good_To_Soft · 12 runners
6 Jul
6th
Ayr
1m1f – 1m2f · Soft · 10 runners

🏇 Jockey Partnerships

Every jockey who has ridden this horse, sorted by rides together
Laura Coughlan
14.3%
Win rate
1/7
Won / Rode
16.7%
Win rate
1/6
Won / Rode
40%
Win rate
2/5
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/5
Won / Rode
Mia Nicholls
0%
Win rate
0/3
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/2
Won / Rode
100%
Win rate
1/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
Amie Waugh
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
Taryn Langley
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode

🏟 Track Record

Win rate at each course this horse has visited
CourseRacesResultsLast visitedWin rate
Doncaster
Galloping
9 2 wins, 7 other 8 Nov 22.2%
Newcastle
Galloping
6 1 win, 1 second, 1 third, 3 other 22 Nov 16.7%
York
Galloping
3 3 other 11 Oct 0%
Redcar
Galloping
3 3 other 4 Nov 0%
Leicester
Sharp
2 1 win, 1 other 27 Apr 50%
Ascot
Galloping
2 1 third, 1 other 5 Sep 0%
Nottingham
Galloping
2 1 second, 1 other 11 Oct 0%
Ayr
Galloping
2 2 other 20 Sep 0%
Hamilton Park
Sharp
2 1 second, 1 other 5 Aug 0%
Beverley
Undulating
2 1 third, 1 other 18 Jul 0%
Carlisle
Undulating
2 1 second, 1 other 5 Jul 0%
Southwell
Galloping
2 2 other 9 Mar 0%
Pontefract
Undulating
1 1 win 3 Aug 100%
Newbury
Galloping
1 1 other 20 Apr 0%
Newmarket
Galloping
1 1 other 28 Sep 0%
Wolverhampton
Galloping
1 1 other 14 Nov 0%
Chepstow
Galloping
1 1 third 8 Sep 0%
Kempton Park
Galloping
1 1 other 19 Dec 0%
Epsom Downs
Undulating
1 1 other 25 Sep 0%
Chester
Tight
1 1 other 27 May 0%
Musselburgh
Sharp
1 1 other 3 Jun 0%
Bath
Undulating
1 1 other 5 Apr 0%
Thirsk
Galloping
1 1 second 4 May 0%