How many races has First Contact (IRE) won?

First Contact (IRE) won 4 of 12 archived starts between 2018 and 2020, a strike rate of 33.3%. Placed 7 times in total (58.3% of starts).

Who trained First Contact (IRE)?

First Contact (IRE) was trained by Charlie Appleby on the most recent run on record, at Ascot on 16 June 2020.

Who is First Contact (IRE)'s sire?

First Contact (IRE) is by Dark Angel (IRE) out of Vanishing Grey (IRE), whose sire is Verglas.

What going does First Contact (IRE) prefer?

First Contact (IRE) has the best record on good to firm going: 1 win from 4 starts (25%). Only going bands with at least three archived starts are read, so this is a direction rather than a settled preference.

What is First Contact (IRE)'s official rating?

The most recent official rating on record is 105, from the run on 16 June 2020. The highest on record is 108.

What is First Contact (IRE)'s sire's record?

Dark Angel (IRE)'s progeny in our archive have won 11.3% of 21,878 runs since Jan 2008 (1,594 horses), Flat and jumps together. Strongest on firm going: 15% from 107.

Who are First Contact (IRE)'s siblings?

Out of Vanishing Grey (IRE), First Contact (IRE) has 2 other produce in our archive, 0 of them winners. As at Oct 2026.

Horse profile

First Contact (IRE)

5yo gelding (at last run, Jun 2020) · Last trainer Charlie Appleby · Last owner Godolphin

by Dark Angel (IRE) out of Vanishing Grey (IRE) (Verglas)

12 runs · 8 courses · from Jan 2018

As at 21 Oct 2026 · KTB archive: GB, Ireland & France · 2005–present, updated daily

No run recorded since 16 Jun 2020 — 2,317 days ago. Our archive can't say whether the horse is still in training.

Last run Jun 2020 · 21st of 23 4 wins · 4 courses Last raced off OR 105

KTB Profile

First Contact (IRE) is 4 from 12, including a Listed win. The biggest win we hold: the Prix Millkom at La Teste De Buch (FR) (Sep 2018). Hasn't won since Sep 2018.

Based on 12 archived runs · updated 21 Oct 2026

4–12Wins / Runs
33.3%Strike rate
7 (58.3%)Placed
−1.26£1 level staken=12 at SP
1.46Fair A/E n=12 · 1.22 incl. margin
108Highest OR
81dAvg between runs

Official rating105↓ 3lb off peak

105 100–108

KTB Speed and Rating

KTB Speed

Best recent Speed 110 the best of the last 3 graded (A or B) runs · Redcar, 5 Oct 2019

How fast the horse ran, as points against the day-corrected standard time for its course and distance: 100 is the median GB Class 4 handicap winner on that code; one point is 0.1% of the standard time. A, B or C is how much the day's card could tell us, not how good the run was. What this means →

Flat 9 figures · best 130^B · median 99

Going	Runs	Best	Median	Since 21 Oct 2025
Good to Firm	4	102^A	89	—
Standard (AW)	2	130^B	101.5	—
Good to Soft	1	—	—	—
Heavy	1	—	—	—
Soft	1	—	—	—

Distance	Runs	Best	Median	Since 21 Oct 2025
6f – 7f	5	130^B	104	—
1m – 1m1f	4	102^A	89	—

KTB Speed v1 · batch 15 Sep 2026 · GB & Irish racing only · 9 figures from 9 runs · as at 3 Oct 2026 · a record, not a forecast

KTB Rating

Best recent KTB Rating 100^B the best of the last 3 rated runs · Redcar, 5 Oct 2019 Official rating 105 at the last run, 16 Jun 2020

What the horse achieved in each race, in pounds on the official-rating scale, from the weight carried, the lengths beaten and the race's own level solved across the archive — never the market, never the official rating as a starting point. The headline is the best of the horse's last three rated runs on that code. A, B or C on a run is how much known form was in that race. What this means →

Flat 9 figures · best 118^A · median 97

Going	Runs	Best	Median	Since 21 Oct 2025
Good to Firm	4	118^A	95	—
Standard (AW)	2	106^A	98	—
Good to Soft	1	—	—	—
Heavy	1	—	—	—
Soft	1	—	—	—

Distance	Runs	Best	Median	Since 21 Oct 2025
6f – 7f	5	106^A	97	—
1m – 1m1f	4	118^A	95	—

KTB Rating v1 · batch 3 Oct 2026 · GB & Irish racing only · 9 figures from 9 runs · as at 4 Oct 2026 · a record, not a forecast

Both figures are KTB's own, computed from the archive; no vendor rating enters either. Every run's figure is on its form line below with its grade. Grades measure how much the archive could see, never the merit of the run.

Run style is derived from in-running commentary, which our data provider does not supply for this horse's races.

Pedigree intelligence

Sire

Dark Angel (IRE)

Progeny in our archive have won 11.3% of 21,878 runs since Jan 2008 (1,594 horses).

Strongest on firm going: 15% from 107.

Going	Runs	Wins	SR	vs sire	This horse
Firm	107	16	15%	+3.7	—
Good to Firm	3,694	452	12.2%	+0.9	1 from 4
Good	4,842	510	10.5%	−0.8	1 from 2
Good to Soft	2,409	251	10.4%	−0.9	0 from 2
Soft	2,725	254	9.3%	−2	1 from 1
Heavy	822	69	8.4%	−2.9	0 from 1
Standard (AW)	7,278	917	12.6%	+1.3	1 from 2

Distance (all codes)	Runs	Wins	SR	vs sire	This horse
Under 6f	2,064	278	13.5%	+2.2	—
6f – 7f	10,700	1,253	11.7%	+0.4	2 from 5
1m – 1m1f	4,994	546	10.9%	−0.4	2 from 7
1m2f – 1m4f	2,469	236	9.6%	−1.7	—
1m5f – 2m	1,089	109	10%	−1.3	—
2m1f – 2m4f	472	41	8.7%	−2.6	—
2m5f – 3m	86	7	8.1%	−3.2	—
Over 3m	4	0	0%	−11.3	—

Flat and jumps together (all codes) · since Jan 2008 · as at 21 Oct 2026 · rows under 30 runs muted · win % is the measure, a record not a forecast

Dam

Vanishing Grey (IRE) (Verglas)

2 siblings in the archive, 0 winners.

Produce	Runs	Wins	Win trips	Best grade
Reeh (IRE)	3	0	—	—
Aqaareb (IRE)	10	0	—	—

Record by conditions

Going	Runs	Wins	SR	£1
Good to Firm	4	1	25%	+1.00
Good to Soft	2	0	0%	−2.00
Good	2	1	50%	+0.00
Standard (AW)	2	1	50%	−0.17
Heavy	1	0	0%	−1.00
Soft	1	1	100%	+0.91

Class	Runs	Wins	SR	£1
Class 2	3	1	33%	+2.00
Class 1	3	0	0%	−3.00
Class 5	3	2	67%	+0.74

Course	Runs	Wins	SR	£1
Ascot	3	0	0%	−3.00
Newmarket	2	1	50%	+3.00
Deauville (FR)	2	0	0%	−2.00
Redcar	1	0	0%	−1.00
La Teste De Buch (FR)	1	1	100%	+1.00
Doncaster	1	1	100%	+0.91
Kempton (AW)	1	0	0%	−1.00
Newcastle (AW)	1	1	100%	+0.83

Distance	Runs	Wins	SR	£1
1m – 1m1f	7	2	29%	+0.00
6f – 7f	5	2	40%	−1.26

Jockey	Runs	Wins	SR	£1
James Doyle	5	2	40%	+2.00
William Buick	4	1	25%	−2.09
Brett Doyle	1	0	0%	−1.00
Adam Kirby	1	0	0%	−1.00
Tom Marquand	1	1	100%	+0.83

Season	Runs	Wins	SR	£1
2020	1	0	0%	−1.00
2019	3	0	0%	−3.00
2018	8	4	50%	+2.74

Splits include every sample, however small — muted rows are under 3 runs. A one-from-one record is a fact, not a trend: read the Runs column before the strike rate.

Form

Date	Course	Race	Pos	Btn	Wgt	OR	Spd	KTB	Jockey	SP
16 Jun 20+255d	Ascot	Buckingham Palace Handicap Class 2 · 7f · Good To Soft · 23 ran	21/23	nk	9-10	105	65^C	75^C	William Buick	11/1
05 Oct 19+157d	Redcar	Racing TV EBF Stallions Guisborough Stakes (Listed) Class 1 · 7f · Heavy · 6 ran	2/6	2	9-0	106	110^A	100^B	Brett Doyle	3/1
01 May 19+13d	Ascot	Ascot Shop Paradise Stakes (Listed) (Queen Anne Stakes Trial) Class 1 · 8f · Good To Firm · 8 ran	6/8	¾	9-3	108	79^A	82^A	James Doyle	10/1
18 Apr 19+222d	Newmarket	bet365 Earl Of Sefton Stakes (Group 3) Class 1 · 9f · Good To Firm · 10 ran	6/10	hd	9-0	108	99^A	92^A	William Buick	5/1
08 Sep 18+18d	La Teste De Buch (FR)	Prix Millkom () (3yo) (Turf) 8f · Good · 8 ran	1/8		9-3	—	—	—	James Doyle	EvensF
21 Aug 18+21d	Deauville (FR)	Prix Daphnis Royal Palm Beachcomber Luxury (3yo) (Turf) 8f · Good To Soft · 5 ran	3/5	4	9-0	—	—	—	James Doyle	23/10
31 Jul 18+17d	Deauville (FR)	Prix Restaurant Le Ciro's Barriere (Prix de Tourgeville) () (3yo Colts & Geldings) (Turf) 8f · Good · 11 ran	2/11	hd	8-13	—	—	—	James Doyle	23/5
14 Jul 18+23d	Newmarket	Bet365 Mile Handicap Class 2 · 8f · Good To Firm · 9 ran	1/9		9-7	100	102^A	118^A	James Doyle	4/1
21 Jun 18+88d	Ascot	Britannia Stakes (Heritage Handicap) (Str) Class 2 · 8f · Good To Firm · 30 ran	11/30	1½	9-5	100	69^C	98^A	William Buick	11/1
25 Mar 18+58d	Doncaster	Unibet Novice Stakes Class 5 · 7f · Soft · 13 ran	1/13		9-9	—	104^C	97^A	William Buick	10/11F
26 Jan 18+24d	Kempton (AW)	Matchbook Casino Novice Stakes Class 5 · 7f · Standard · 14 ran	2/14	shd	9-9	—	130^B	106^A	Adam Kirby	7/4
02 Jan 18	Newcastle (AW)	32red.com Novice Stakes Class 5 · 7f · Standard · 10 ran	1/10		9-2	—	73^A	90^A	Tom Marquand	5/6F

Quick answers

How many races has First Contact (IRE) won?: First Contact (IRE) won 4 of 12 archived starts between 2018 and 2020, a strike rate of 33.3%. Placed 7 times in total (58.3% of starts).
Who trained First Contact (IRE)?: First Contact (IRE) was trained by Charlie Appleby on the most recent run on record, at Ascot on 16 June 2020.
Who is First Contact (IRE)'s sire?: First Contact (IRE) is by Dark Angel (IRE) out of Vanishing Grey (IRE), whose sire is Verglas.
What going does First Contact (IRE) prefer?: First Contact (IRE) has the best record on good to firm going: 1 win from 4 starts (25%). Only going bands with at least three archived starts are read, so this is a direction rather than a settled preference.
What is First Contact (IRE)'s official rating?: The most recent official rating on record is 105, from the run on 16 June 2020. The highest on record is 108.
What is First Contact (IRE)'s sire's record?: Dark Angel (IRE)'s progeny in our archive have won 11.3% of 21,878 runs since Jan 2008 (1,594 horses), Flat and jumps together. Strongest on firm going: 15% from 107.
Who are First Contact (IRE)'s siblings?: Out of Vanishing Grey (IRE), First Contact (IRE) has 2 other produce in our archive, 0 of them winners. As at Oct 2026.

KTB Speed and Rating

Pedigree intelligence

Record by conditions

▾Going

▾Class 9 of 12 runs

▾Course

▾Distance

▾Jockey

▾Season

Form

Quick answers