Sheldon

His most recent form is the most striking thing about him right now. Looking at his last six races, the sequence reads: win, second, third, second, third, fourth. That is quietly remarkable for a 10-year-old — consistent, competitive, and clearly still loving it. He won just this week at Newton Abbot on 14 April 2026, which means he is not a horse coasting towards retirement. He is racing and winning.

The numbers suggest he handles different conditions well, which is a useful quality. On normal ground he has won 2 from 7 races — that's winning roughly 1 in every 3 or 4 times out — and on very wet, muddy ground he has a similar record, 2 wins from 6 races. That kind of adaptability means his team rarely has to watch a weather forecast and worry. He also has a particular liking for Wincanton, where he has won 2 of his 5 races there. Winning 40% of your races at any track is worth noticing.

Trainer Seamus Mullins, whose yard in Wiltshire has sent out 10 winners already this season, described Sheldon warmly in January as "a good, consistent handicap chaser" and "a credit to the yard." He mentioned a nice race in there somewhere for the spring, without targeting anything specific — the kind of relaxed confidence that comes from knowing a horse is in good form and healthy. Jockey Micheal Nolan has ridden Sheldon 13 times and won on him 3 of those — winning roughly 1 in every 4 or 5 rides together — which is a productive partnership by any measure.

At 10, most horses are winding down. Sheldon appears not to have received that memo.