:

Optician

Optician is a horse that has learned where it wins and, sensibly, keeps going back there. The six-year-old has captured four of its five career victories at Wolverhampton—a win rate of one win in every three races at that track—making it a genuine course specialist in a way that most horses never manage. It first broke through there in December 2023 and has returned to that familiarity enough times to turn Wolverhampton into something of a home ground. That fourth win came as recently as June this year, suggesting the horse still has plenty of racing left in it.Based on TrackLab's AI analysis
Quick Facts
Age
6 years old
Sex
Gelding
Colour
Bay
Father
Expert Eye
Mother
Starlit Sands
Owner
Michael Herrington Racing Club
Rating
75

📊 Key Numbers

Career statistics for this horse
37
Career races
5
Wins
13.5%
Win rate
avg ~10%
43.2%
Place rate (top 3)
avg ~30%
1 days
Since last race

🔍 Full Analysis

TrackLab's AI-generated assessment based on career data and recent form
TrackLab's Detailed Breakdown
Auto-Generated

The overall numbers tell a different story. From 37 races, Optician has won just 5 times and placed in the frame another 16 occasions—a win rate of roughly one victory in every seven attempts, which is modest but honest work for a horse racing regularly in competitive fields. It clearly thrives on normal ground conditions: 4 wins from 19 outings on that surface represents a 21 percent win rate, well above its career average. Switch to softer or faster ground, and the horse becomes considerably less effective.

Recent form shows the typical pattern of a consistent but inconsistent campaigner. A ninth-place finish most recently, followed by a second, a fifth, a win, a tenth, and a fourth before that paints the picture of a horse that can still find the frame but is struggling to recapture the consistency it showed earlier in the year. Most intriguingly, David Allan, the jockey who rides Optician most regularly, has yet to steer the horse to a single victory in 11 attempts together—a partnership that clearly lacks chemistry. The absence of a click between rider and horse may explain some of those frustrating runs in the frame without the win. Michael Herrington's Lincolnshire yard continues to fire in winners elsewhere, but Optician remains one of its mid-tier earners rather than a star turn.

Strengths & Risks

What the data says works for and against this horse
✓ What works in their favour
Excellent record on standard ground: 4 wins from 19 starts (21%)
Excellent record on good_to_soft ground: 1 wins from 3 starts (33%)
Course specialist at Wolverhampton: 4 wins from 12 starts (33%)
⚠ What to watch out for
Poor record on good_to_firm ground: 0 wins from 9 starts
Poor record on good ground: 0 wins from 4 starts
Yet to win at Redcar in 5 attempts

🎯 Where This Horse Thrives

Performance broken down by ground, distance, class, and track type
🌧 Ground Conditions
Standard (all-weather)
Loves
Good to soft (some give)
Loves
Soft (muddy)
Unknown
Heavy (very wet)
Unknown
Good to firm (drying out)
Avoids
Good (firm-ish)
Avoids
📏 Race Distance
1M6F – 2M
5F – 6½F
Unknown
7F – 1M
Unknown
1M3F – 1M4F
Ok
🏅 Competition Level
Class 3 (mid-level)
Unknown
Class 4 (standard)
Ok
Class 5 (entry-level)
Avoids
Class 6 (grassroots)
Loves
🏟 Track Shape
Left-handed, long straights
Right-handed, tight turns
Unknown
Left-handed, hilly
Unknown
Right-handed, hilly
Avoids
Left-handed, tight turns
Avoids

📅 Recent Runs

The last 10 races, most recent first
17 Aug
9th
Wolverhampton
1m6f – 2m · Standard · 11 runners
29 Jul
2nd
Redcar
1m3f – 1m4f · Good_To_Firm · 9 runners
10 Jul
5th
York
1m3f – 1m4f · Good_To_Firm · 10 runners
14 Jun
🏆 Won
Doncaster
1m3f – 1m4f · Good_To_Soft · 6 runners
31 May
10th
Thirsk
1m6f – 2m · Good · 12 runners
11 Apr
4th
Southwell
1m3f – 1m4f · Standard · 9 runners
23 Sep
DNF
Southwell
1m6f – 2m · Standard · 11 runners
18 Apr
11th
Lingfield Park
1m6f – 2m · Standard · 14 runners
14 Mar
3rd
Wolverhampton
1m6f – 2m · Standard · 7 runners
11 Feb
2nd
Wolverhampton
1m6f – 2m · Standard · 6 runners

🏇 Jockey Partnerships

Every jockey who has ridden this horse, sorted by rides together
0%
Win rate
0/11
Won / Rode
42.9%
Win rate
3/7
Won / Rode
David Probert Current Jockey
0%
Win rate
0/2
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/2
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/2
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/2
Won / Rode
100%
Win rate
1/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
Liam Wright
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode
0%
Win rate
0/1
Won / Rode

🏟 Track Record

Win rate at each course this horse has visited
CourseRacesResultsLast visitedWin rate
Wolverhampton
Galloping
12 4 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, 3 other 17 Aug 33.3%
Redcar
Galloping
5 1 second, 4 other 29 Jul 0%
Southwell
Galloping
4 1 second, 3 other 11 Apr 0%
Thirsk
Galloping
3 1 second, 2 other 31 May 0%
Lingfield Park
Sharp
3 3 other 18 Apr 0%
Carlisle
Undulating
2 1 second, 1 other 19 Jun 0%
Doncaster
Galloping
1 1 win 14 Jun 100%
York
Galloping
1 1 other 10 Jul 0%
Ripon
Sharp
1 1 other 5 Sep 0%
Beverley
Undulating
1 1 other 7 Jul 0%
Pontefract
Undulating
1 1 third 19 Jul 0%
Leicester
Sharp
1 1 other 26 Jul 0%
Wetherby
Galloping
1 1 third 6 Jun 0%
Ayr
Galloping
1 1 other 22 Sep 0%