Merlin The Wizard

The highlights came in the summer of 2023. A first career win at Kempton Park in June was followed by a second at Newmarket in August — one of British racing's most famous tracks — and those two victories remain the clearest evidence of what this horse can do at its best. The Newmarket win, now 33 months ago, is the one the yard will be proudest of. Winning there means something; the track is long, fair, and unforgiving of moderate horses.

Since then, though, the wins have dried up. Merlin The Wizard hasn't won in its last six races, with the recent run of form reading 7th, 15th, a non-completion, then a 2nd, 5th, and 3rd working backwards from yesterday's race. That 2nd and 3rd suggest the ability hasn't vanished entirely, but converting those near-misses into a win has proved elusive. The horse raced just yesterday, which makes this a snapshot of a genuinely live campaign.

The conditions that suit it are fairly specific. On normal ground over seven furlongs to a mile, Merlin The Wizard has won 2 of 8 races — 25% — which is a solid return. At its most comfortable level, Class 4, the record is even more eye-catching: 2 wins from just 4 races, meaning it has won half the time it has competed at that grade. For context, a 50% win rate at any level is exceptional. The horse simply needs to find its conditions.

Hollie Doyle, one of the most high-profile jockeys in the sport, has ridden Merlin The Wizard seven times and won twice — that's nearly 1 in every 3 rides together, or 29%, which is a strong partnership by any measure. Trainer R P Cody operates out of Dunnamaggin in County Kilkenny and has sent out 6 winners already this season, so the yard is in decent form. The combination of a in-form trainer, a proven jockey partnership, and a horse that still shows flashes of quality makes Merlin The Wizard worth keeping an eye on.