The Four Sixes

The highlight of the season came in a back-to-back sequence that would make any trainer smile. The Four Sixes won a top-tier Class 2 race at Bangor-on-Dee in March 2025, then did it again at Ayr in April — two of the better races you can win in Britain, taken within six weeks of each other. Trainer Olly Murphy was so impressed by the effort at Ayr that he said the horse had "an unbelievable constitution" — the kind of compliment that speaks to toughness rather than just talent — before adding that the horse had given so much that season that he probably wouldn't run again. That is a horse who leaves everything on the track.

Murphy is based at Wilmcote in Warwickshire and has had a remarkable season, sending out 146 winners. He sees real potential in The Four Sixes over fences, believing the horse has the ability to be genuinely exciting over two and a half to three miles once its jumping clicks into place. Interestingly, Murphy thinks the Ayr win came despite the conditions rather than because of them — he is convinced the horse is even better on wetter, muddier ground, which hints that there may still be more to come.

There is a course to keep an eye on: Wetherby, where The Four Sixes has won 2 of just 4 visits. Winning half your races at a track is the kind of record that gets a horse backed every time it returns. The partnership with jockey Sean Bowen is also worth noting — together they have won 3 of their 10 races, roughly 1 in every 3, which is a strong return and suggests the two have found a rhythm.

The recent form shows a horse that has gone six races without a win, and its last success came at Kelso back in December. But given the ambition Murphy has for it over fences and the obvious quality in those Class 2 wins, The Four Sixes looks like a horse with unfinished business — and a trainer who knows exactly how to unlock it.