Tashkhan

That distinction matters when you look at his record more closely. In 13 races at the top level — Class 1 races, the very best Britain has to offer — he has never won. Zero from thirteen. And yet the team kept running him there, because on the right day, on soft ground, he was genuinely competitive. Ellison put it plainly after one overseas trip: Tashkhan had picked up over £100,000 in prize money across just three races for a horse who cost very little to buy. That's a remarkable return on investment, and it tells you this horse has a knack for placing well in big fields on big occasions even when the win eludes him.

His most notable victory came at Chester on 30 September 2023 — a top-level Class 2 race — which also happened to be his first career win. Getting your first win in one of the better races around is a strange way to do things, but it speaks to the fact that Tashkhan has always shown up best when the conditions aligned. Chester, with its tight turning track, suits a horse who travels smoothly and simply keeps going. His jockey Ben Robinson has partnered him 16 times in total, winning once together — that's a 6% win rate, or roughly 1 in every 16 rides — but the relationship has clearly been built through shared experience in tough company.

His most recent win came at Hexham in December 2025, where the team took a calculated decision to try him jumping for the first time on heavy ground. It worked. He travelled well, jumped well, and Ellison was candid that the whole campaign had been dictated by finding the right surface: he just never had his ground the previous year. After a short break of 32 days and with recent form showing two third-place finishes and a win in his last six races, Tashkhan arrives at his next race in decent nick. Find him a wet track and a long trip, and he remains well worth a second look.