Morfee

The partnership with jockey James Best is one of the more productive relationships in the yard's recent history. In 19 races together, Best has guided Morfee to 4 of those 5 career wins — winning 21% of the time, or roughly 1 in every 5 rides. Best has spoken about the importance of restraint with the horse, noting that on a previous run at Plumpton he had to ease off the pace after finding himself at the front too soon. It's the kind of detail that tells you this is a horse with engine, but one that needs careful handling to get the best out of it.

Plumpton is where Morfee clearly feels at home: 2 wins from 9 races there, which matters not because it's a staggering number but because it represents a genuine familiarity with the track. The horse opened its career account at Plumpton in March 2022 and keeps returning there — it's a course that suits. Normal ground conditions also suit, with 3 wins from 9 races on a standard surface, a 33% rate that stands well above its overall average.

The season has had an unusual shape. Morfee had a delayed return after suffering a choke — trainer Seamus Mullins explained that the horse came in from the paddock and tried to eat hay, feed, and drink water simultaneously, which caused a setback and pushed back its comeback. When it did return, a third-place finish at Plumpton in December was an encouraging sign. Things were tougher at Windsor most recently, where Morfee found the competition a step up. Mullins has already flagged the Grimthorpe as a long-term seasonal target — a race with serious prestige and prize money — which suggests there is still a clear plan in place for this experienced chaser. Morfee raced just yesterday, and with that kind of ambition in the trainer's mind, the story isn't over yet.