Taritino

What makes Taritino genuinely interesting right now is its recent form. Over the last six races it has won three, and the sequence — a win, a win, third, second, a win, then sixth — tells the story of a horse that has found a groove. It raced just yesterday, which means it is bang in the middle of a busy campaign. Trainers don't keep running horses this frequently unless they believe the horse is in good shape and the opportunities are there to be taken.

Dry ground is where Taritino really comes alive. On fast, dry conditions it has won 4 from 12 races — that's a win rate of 33%, or roughly 1 in every 3 outings. Compare that to its overall record of 8 wins from 50 races (1 in every 6), and the difference is stark. When the sun has been out and the ground is firm underfoot, this horse becomes a very different proposition.

Joe Tickle's yard at Stoodleigh in Devon has sent out 20 winners already this season, which signals a stable in confident form. Jockey Taylor Fisher has the regular partnership with Taritino, though their record together — 2 wins from 17 rides, roughly 1 in 8 — suggests the horse is not at its absolute best with any single pilot. It's also worth noting that Taritino's first career win came at Redcar back in July 2022 and its most recent at Taunton just three weeks ago, showing it has been around the tracks and is still very much getting the job done. At 6 years old and racing this frequently, this is a horse at the peak of its working life — and right now, it looks like it knows it.