Nazca

The most striking entry in the form book is Wolverhampton, where Nazca has won 2 of just 4 races. That is an extraordinary hit rate at a specific track — half of all appearances there have ended in victory, against a career average of 1 in 7. When a horse shows that kind of preference for one venue, it is usually down to something real: the shape of the circuit, the surface, or simply how a horse travels through its races there. Whatever the reason, Wolverhampton clearly suits.

The bulk of Nazca's career has been spent in Class 6 company — the entry-level tier of British racing — where the record reads 5 wins from 29 races, or roughly 1 in every 6. That is a perfectly respectable return at that level, and it gives a clear picture of where this horse is competitive. The first career win came at Chelmsford in August 2023, and the most recent was at Newcastle in March 2024, now 26 months ago. Since then, six races have passed without a winner, and the recent form figures of 8-6-8-2-7-8 paint a picture of a horse that is consistently finishing mid-pack rather than threatening the front.

The partnership with jockey Tommie Jakes is one of the more striking individual statistics attached to this horse. Together they have won 4 of 15 races — that is 1 in every 3 or 4, compared to the overall career rate of 1 in 7. Whatever Jakes does differently on this horse, it works significantly better than almost anyone else who has ridden it.

Trainer Linda Perratt operates out of East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire, and her yard has already sent out 19 winners this season, which suggests a stable in decent form. Nazca raced just yesterday and is clearly being kept busy. The question now is whether a return to Wolverhampton — ideally with Jakes in the saddle — might be the combination that ends what has become a two-year wait for a winning day.