Sondad

The recent form makes for interesting reading. Reading the last six races from most recent to oldest — 17, 3, 2, 7, 2, 1 — you can see a horse that won, ran well twice, had a couple of quieter efforts, and then bounced back. That kind of fluctuation is normal at this level, and the key thing is that Sondad keeps finding its way back into the frame. It first announced itself with a win at Ripon in July 2024, and has since stepped up to compete at the highest level of everyday racing.

The partnership with jockey Joanna Mason is one of the more compelling details here. The two have raced together 12 times, winning on 4 of those occasions — roughly 1 in every 3 races. That is an exceptionally productive relationship by any measure, and suggests Mason understands how to get the best from this horse. Behind the scenes, the training operation run by Michael and David Easterby at Sheriff Hutton in North Yorkshire has sent out 55 winners already this season — a yard clearly in fine form and not one that sends horses out without a plan.

At Class 2 level, Sondad has won 1 from 4 races, a 25% return that holds up well against strong competition. Still only five, there is plenty of racing ahead, and with a big-occasion win at Epsom already on the record, the team at Sheriff Hutton have every reason to keep pitching this horse at the top end of the programme.