Master Richard

The timing tells a tougher story. Master Richard's last win came at Thirsk on 6 September 2025—now a full year ago—and the recent form reads like a ship taking on water. In its last six races it has finished 9th, 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, and 10th. One second-place finish aside, there is little to suggest the winning spark is about to reignite. At seven years old, with a twelve-month drought on the board, the horse is sliding toward the veteran bracket without the luxury of a consistent turn of foot to fall back on. Trainer Ann Duffield's yard has found seven winners this season, but Master Richard has not contributed one of them.

Rowan Scott, the horse's most regular partner in the saddle with one win from six rides together, seems to struggle with the pairing as well—a 17% win rate that does not inspire confidence either way. The partnership looks like it is searching for something neither has quite found. For a horse that cost five figures to run at this level and has earned its keep through sheer durability rather than brilliance, Master Richard remains useful. It races actively, turns up and tries, and occasionally finds its way into a frame. But the hard truth is that last September's win at Thirsk is beginning to look less like a launching point and more like a highwater mark.