Menaggio

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Menaggio is a seven-year-old who has quietly built a solid record across 19 races, winning 3 and placing 8 times — that is something to show for itself in 11 of 19 outings, even if the wins have dried up over the last six runs. Trained by Billy Aprahamian out of Towcester in Northamptonshire — a yard that has sent out 12 winners already this season — Menaggio is clearly a horse held in some regard, and the stats suggest the belief is not misplaced.

The headline number is at Plumpton, where Menaggio has won 2 of just 3 visits. Winning two from three anywhere is impressive; doing it at a specific track suggests a horse that genuinely suits the place, whether that is the tight, turning nature of the course, the distance, or something harder to pin down. The most recent of those wins came on 18 November 2024, when the trainer was delighted with the jumping and noted that Menaggio saw the trip out powerfully — describing it as a winning chase debut and flagging that slightly further distances could bring even more improvement. The first career win had come earlier, at Hereford in January 2024, so this is a horse that has been steadily finding its feet over fences.

Tom Cannon has been the regular partner, riding in 10 of Menaggio's 19 races and winning 3 of them — a win rate of 30%, which is exceptionally high. To put that in context, the overall career win rate is 16%, or roughly 1 in every 6 races. When Cannon is in the saddle, that jumps to 3 in every 10. That kind of relationship between horse and jockey tends to matter, and it is the sort of detail that a trainer pays attention to when entries are being planned.

Normal ground suits Menaggio best — 2 wins from 8 races on standard conditions, a 25% win rate. Most of the action has come at Class 3 level, one step below the very top tier, where the horse has won 2 of 9 races. With 17 months now since the last win and recent form showing no victories across six races, the question is whether Plumpton — and Cannon — can unlock another one.