Palacio

The overall record of 3 wins and 6 places from 13 races — roughly 1 win in every 4 — doesn't immediately shout star, but the direction of travel does. He has won 2 of his last 6 races, and raced just yesterday, which means he is fit, active, and in the kind of form the yard want him in. His most recent win came at Newbury just four weeks ago, so this is a horse peaking at the right time.

Much of his best work has been done at Chepstow, where he has won 2 of his 4 races. In racing, course specialists are real — some horses simply take to a track's shape, undulations, or ground, and Chepstow clearly suits Palacio. His first career win came there in October 2024, and the track has become something of a home from home. Jockey Dylan Johnston, who has partnered him in 10 of his 13 races and won 3 of them — a win rate of 30%, or roughly 1 in 3 — described him after that Chepstow success as "a big, rangy sort" who will only improve as he learns to race. Johnston also gave credit to the team at home, noting that Palacio can be a handful away from the racecourse.

He typically competes at Class 3, one rung below the top tier, and has won just 1 of 6 races at that level — around 1 in 6. That suggests he is still working his way up to being a consistent force at this grade, but Sam Thomas has already been looking further ahead. During that November yard visit he mentioned the Fulke Walwyn Trophy at Newbury as a near-term target, and floated the Grand Annual — one of the most competitive races of the jumps season — as a longer-term ambition. Those are bold targets, but for a horse that is still maturing and still improving, they may not be as ambitious as they sound.