Lusaka

Those bigger moments have been genuinely impressive. In September 2023, Lusaka won a Class 2 race at Bath — one of the better races in British racing outside the top tier — and it did so on fast, dry ground, which is clearly when this horse comes alive. On that kind of surface it has won 2 from 4, a 50% win rate that is extraordinary by any measure. Bath itself has been a happy hunting ground too: 2 wins from just 3 visits, which is the kind of record that makes trainers go back again and again.

The man most associated with those wins is jockey Taylor Fisher, who has been aboard for 4 of Lusaka's 6 career victories from just 6 rides together. That is a 67% win rate — four from six — which is a remarkable partnership by any standard. When Fisher rides Lusaka, something clicks. The horse also has a very clear preference for longer distances, between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, where its 6 wins from 21 races at that trip — nearly 1 in 3 — tell the real story of what it is built for.

At eight years old, Lusaka is an experienced campaigner trained by John and Rhys Flint from their yard in Kenfig Hill, Bridgend. The Flints have sent out 7 winners this season already, so the operation is in good form. Lusaka itself last won at Newbury in July 2025 and raced just yesterday, so it remains very much an active horse. The recent run of six races without a win will not alarm anyone who knows this horse's record — it tends to find its moment rather than win in clusters. The question is whether dry ground and the right distance will come together again soon.