Tuscan Hills

The career arc is interesting. The first win came at Thirsk in August 2024, a more modest occasion, and then just seven weeks later the horse stepped up to Class 1 and won it. That kind of rapid progression — from a first win to a top-grade success in under two months — is genuinely unusual. Since then, though, it has been a quieter story. The last five runs have produced nothing better than a sixth place, and the most recent form figures of 20 and a pulled-up run suggest a horse that has been struggling to recapture that October peak. The last win was 17 months ago, which is a long time.

De Aguiar's yard has been in decent nick this season, sending out 10 winners, so the operation around Tuscan Hills is ticking over. David Egan rides regularly, partnering the horse in 5 of its 7 races and winning once together — that is 1 in every 5 rides, a respectable ratio. At Class 1 level specifically, Tuscan Hills has won 1 from 4 attempts, which is a 25% win rate in the biggest races — better than most horses manage at that grade in a lifetime.

The question hanging over Tuscan Hills is whether that Pontefract win was a glimpse of genuine talent or a one-day wonder. The recent form suggests the horse has gone a bit flat, but it raced just 14 days ago, so the team clearly still believe there is something there. At its best, this is a horse that has beaten good animals in a top race. Getting back to that level is the challenge now.