Swinging London

The ground matters enormously with this one. On normal conditions, Swinging London has won 5 of 25 races — that is a 20% win rate, or 1 in every 5 starts, which is the mark of a horse that genuinely knows what it is doing when conditions suit. Strip that away and you are looking at a much flatter picture. Trainers and owners learn these things over time, and John Mackie's yard at Church Broughton in Derbyshire has clearly figured it out. Mackie has sent out 16 winners this season alone, so this is a stable that knows how to place a horse to its best advantage.

Then there is Newcastle. In three races at the track, Swinging London has won twice — a 67% win rate that is frankly extraordinary and the kind of number that should make any racing fan sit up. Some horses simply love a particular track, whether it is the shape of the bends, the way the ground rides, or something harder to explain. Whatever the reason, Newcastle brings out the best in this horse, and that is not a coincidence across three visits.

The most intriguing wrinkle in the record is this: Swinging London competes most often at Class 4 level — one step below the elite but still competitive racing — and has won zero of those 20 races at that level. Yet it keeps finding ways to win elsewhere. The most recent victory came at Southwell just four weeks ago, on 23 April 2026, with regular partner Finley Marsh in the saddle. Together, the pair have won 2 of their 6 races — 1 in every 3, which is a strong ratio and suggests a genuine partnership that the yard clearly trusts.

Racing for eight years, still winning last month, and with recent form reading a placed effort followed by a win — Swinging London is a horse in decent nick and very much still in business.