Strong Run

Trained by Fergal O'Brien at his yard in Withington, Gloucestershire, Strong Run is part of an operation in serious form right now. O'Brien's team has sent out 90 winners already this season — that's not a yard ticking over quietly, that's a stable firing on all cylinders. Jonathan Burke is the regular partner in the saddle, the two of them having won 2 of their 7 races together, a win rate of 29%, or just under 1 in 3. That's a solid working relationship built on familiarity.

The big moment in Strong Run's career came on 8 February 2025 at Warwick, where the horse landed its first career win — and made it count, because it was a Class 2 race, which means one of the better races in Britain. Breaking your duck at that level, rather than in a more routine contest, says something. It wasn't just a first win; it was a first win against decent competition.

Most of Strong Run's racing has come at Class 4 level, winning 1 from 4 at that grade. But the Warwick result shows there's more to this horse than its usual level suggests. Most recently, Strong Run won at Fontwell Park just this week — making it 2 wins from the last 6 races. The recent form reads 1-6-–-–-2-1, so there's a gap in the middle where things went quiet, but the horse has bookended that flat patch with wins, and winning this week means Strong Run heads into whatever comes next with real momentum and trainer confidence behind it.