Superstylin

The most striking thing about Superstylin's record is what happens at Fontwell Park. Two wins from just 3 races there is an extraordinary return — that is the kind of ratio that makes trainers keep coming back to the same track. The most recent of those wins came just four weeks ago on 27 March, and on slightly wet ground Superstylin is even more dangerous: 4 wins from 14 races on soft ground amounts to a 29% win rate, winning nearly 1 in every 3 races when the conditions suit. When the rain arrives, this horse becomes a different proposition entirely.

Chris Gordon trains Superstylin from his yard in Morestead, Hampshire, and he is having a fine season — 45 winners so far. Gordon is an astute reader of his horses, and he has spoken openly about one of Superstylin's quirks: the horse does not find much extra when asked to accelerate, which means there is an art to riding it right. The plan is to hold Superstylin up, keep it settled, and try to deliver it late rather than wind it up early. When the tactics click, the results follow. Gordon describes him as tough and consistent — a horse that takes racing in its stride and comes back ready to go again.

Freddie Gordon, who is also the trainer's son, has the best understanding of Superstylin in the saddle, winning 2 of their 8 races together — a 25% win rate, or 1 in every 4 rides. That familiarity clearly helps. Superstylin typically operates at Class 5 level, which represents the bread-and-butter end of the sport rather than the glamour races, but four wins from 21 races at that level — roughly 1 in 5 — shows a horse operating comfortably within its range and making the most of it. This is not a horse chasing headlines. It is a horse that keeps winning, keeps placing, and keeps turning up. There is a lot to be said for that.