Never Dark

The horse's last win came at Hamilton Park on 30 September 2024, and that drought has now stretched to nearly two years. More immediately, Never Dark has gone six races without a victory, finishing nowhere near the winner's circle most recently. That kind of form would worry most the yard, but the horse has shown enough talent in the past to suggest there is still a race or two left in the tank. Its best moment came in a Class 2 race at Haydock — one of the top races in Britain — which it won on 30 September 2023. For a horse that typically competes at Class 5 level, winning 2 of 18 races there, a Class 2 victory represents a genuine peak.

The picture becomes clearer when you look at ground conditions. Never Dark is a completely different proposition on wet or muddy ground, winning 3 of its 10 races there — a 30% win rate that stands out sharply against its overall form. On normal ground it has won 2 of 10 races. Iain Jardine's yard at Carrutherstown has prepared the horse throughout its career, and jockey Jonny Peate has ridden it most often, managing 2 wins from 19 races together. Wolverhampton has become a small hunting ground: Never Dark has won 2 of 6 races at that track. At nine years old, the horse is entering its later years, but the recent action — it raced just yesterday — shows it is still active and being targeted for opportunities. Whether wet ground comes along, or whether Wolverhampton produces another winning chance, will likely determine whether Never Dark gets that elusive eighth career win.