Valley Ofthe Kings

The career win rate sits at around 1 in every 8 races, which at this level is nothing flashy, but the place record tells a slightly kinder story. Eight places from 16 races means Valley of the Kings has finished in the money half the time — this is a horse that tends to show up and compete, even when the win isn't coming. The first win came at Wolverhampton in October 2025, with a second following at Chelmsford just a month later. That back-to-back sequence suggested a horse hitting its stride, which makes the six-race winless run since then all the more puzzling.

One thing the numbers do flag up clearly is how much ground conditions matter. On normal ground Valley of the Kings has won 2 from 7 races — that's a win rate of roughly 1 in every 3.5, which is genuinely strong at this level. Conditions away from that sweet spot have been far less productive, so when the ground comes up right, this horse is worth a second look.

Dylan Cunha's yard at Newmarket has been in good form this season, sending out 45 winners, so the training operation is clearly functioning well. The puzzle is the partnership with regular jockey Kyle Strydom — six races together and no wins. That's not a damning statistic on its own, but it's worth noting that the two wins in this horse's career came before that partnership became the regular arrangement. Whether a change in the saddle could unlock something is a question the team will no doubt be asking.

Valley of the Kings raced just one day ago, so the yard are clearly keeping this horse busy. At four years old, there's still time for things to click again — and if the ground comes up right on a normal surface, don't be too quick to write this one off.