Velvet Skies

What makes Velvet Skies interesting is not the winning, but the sheer persistence. Fifty-one races is a significant body of work for a horse still only five years old, and along the way there have been 15 placed finishes — so while victories have been rare, Velvet Skies has been competitive enough to land in the top three a respectable number of times. The career started with a win at Down Royal in September 2023, and the horse clearly had enough about it to find the winners' enclosure on three separate occasions across different tracks.

Ben Coen has been the regular partner in the saddle, riding Velvet Skies in 15 of those 51 races and winning just the once together — a win rate of around 1 in 15, which reflects the broader pattern. That said, a jockey returning to a horse this many times suggests the team at least sees something worth persisting with. Stephen Hanlon trains the yard over at Constable Burton in North Yorkshire, and with four winners already on the board this season, there is clearly life in the operation. Whether Velvet Skies is going to add to that tally any time soon is harder to say — the recent form does not point that way — but having raced just one day ago, this is a horse very much still in the game and being campaigned actively.

At this level, with this kind of record, Velvet Skies is what racing people quietly call a reliable soul — not a star, but a horse that keeps showing up, keeps filling places, and occasionally reminds everyone why they bother. The next win might not be imminent, but it would surprise nobody who has followed the journey.