Uzincso

The horse's one turf victory came at Newmarket in July 2022 over a mile on the Glenn Roeder raceday, a result that clearly mattered to everyone at the yard. Butler has admitted the handicapper has been tough on Uzincso, but there's a reason the horse keeps running: it never runs badly. It consistently picks up places, turning up and doing its job without fuss — the mark of a genuine, honest racehorse rather than a flashy one. Luke Morris has partnered it 14 times without a win, but the real issue is that Uzincso struggles in Class 4 races, where it's winless from 12 attempts. It belongs at a lower level, where the competition suits it better.

The horse is active right now and has raced in each of its last six starts, finishing fourth twice and third once. Nothing spectacular, but nothing disastrous either. At ten years old, Uzincso is past its prime, yet Butler keeps saddling it up because it's the kind of horse that turns up, tries hard, and occasionally justifies the effort with a win on the all-weather. For a small racing operation, that's exactly the sort of reliable servant worth training.