Vintage Clarets

The CV reads like a tour of some of racing's best venues. Vintage Clarets has won at York, Newcastle, Ascot, and twice at Catterick — taking the same Catterick race in back-to-back years in October 2023 and October 2024, which is the sort of thing that catches the eye. Repeating a win at the same track in consecutive seasons suggests the horse genuinely thrives in those specific conditions rather than just getting lucky once. Chester tells a similar story: 2 wins from just 5 races there, a 40% win rate at a circuit where plenty of horses never figure at all. For context, winning 2 from 5 anywhere at this level is exceptional.

The most recent win came at Ascot in August 2025 — one of the top venues in Britain — and that alone puts Vintage Clarets in decent company. Richard and Peter Fahey, who train the horse from their Musley Bank base in North Yorkshire, have sent out 9 winners this season, and this horse has been one of their more reliable big-race performers over the past few years.

The honest part of the picture is that Vintage Clarets hasn't won since that Ascot race nine months ago, and the last six runs have produced nothing better than a runner-up finish. Racing's most recent outing was just yesterday, so the horse is clearly still actively campaigned, but the current form figures — a string of mid-pack finishes — suggest it may be in one of those patches where the winning isn't flowing as easily. Regular jockey Oisin Orr has ridden the horse 17 times together and won twice, which is roughly 1 in every 8 rides — a solid record given the level they compete at, even if the partnership hasn't clicked recently. The talent is clearly there. The question is simply whether the next win is around the corner.