Witness Stand

Yet there's a shadow in the recent record. Witness Stand has not won in his last six races, most recently finishing sixth just a day ago. For a five-year-old who should be in his prime, that's a dry spell worth noting. He does have a course to call his own: Goodwood, where he has won 2 of his 5 races, a rate that stands out even if those wins are now over a year in the past. His overall record—4 wins from 24 races—shows he is a reliable performer but not a machine; he finishes in the first three about once in every two runs (13 places to go with his 4 wins). He is versatile on ground conditions, the trainer observes, though "the slower the ground, the more to his advantage." Daniel Tudhope, his most regular jockey, has ridden him seven times and won once, suggesting the partnership hasn't quite ignited. Witness Stand remains a horse capable of top performances on his day, but his day has not come around in a very long time.