Sullivan Bay

The key to understanding Sullivan Bay is one word: Chelmsford. Of those 2 career wins, both have come at that track, from 9 races there in total. Winning 2 from 9 at a single venue — roughly 1 in every 4 and a half races — is a meaningful pattern. Most horses show no particular preference for one course over another, so when one consistently performs at a specific track, it tells you something real. Whether it's the surface, the tight turns, or simply the distance it gets to race there, Chelmsford brings out the best in Sullivan Bay. The most recent win came on 26 October 2024, which is now 18 months ago, and the horse hasn't won since — but with 9 Chelmsford appearances already on the card, the team at Jim and Suzi Best's yard in Lewes will know exactly where to point it when they want a result.

Sullivan Bay does its best work on normal ground and at distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles — slightly longer than average, which suits horses with stamina rather than pure speed. On normal conditions, it has won 2 of 13 races, or roughly 1 in 6 — a noticeably better record than its overall numbers might suggest. Jim and Suzi Best have sent out 15 winners this season, so the yard is in decent form, and Sullivan Bay competes mainly at Class 6 level, the entry level of British racing, where it has won 2 of its 14 races there.

Recent form has been patchy — 10th, 7th, 2nd, a non-run, 4th, and 10th in its last six outings — and jockey Brendan Powell, who has ridden it five times, is still looking for that first win together. Sullivan Bay raced just yesterday, so it is very much in active training. The second place in that recent sequence is a reminder that the ability is still there. It just needs the right day, the right ground — and, most likely, another trip to Chelmsford.