A War Eagle

The story really starts at Beverley, a tight, turning track on the Yorkshire coast that has a habit of finding out horses who lack genuine determination. A War Eagle has won there twice from just three visits — a record that speaks to a horse who doesn't just cope with the track but thrives on it. His most recent win came there six weeks ago, and his recent form of 3-5-5-1-8-13 read from latest back shows a horse who bounced back smartly after a couple of disappointing runs. When the conditions are right, he shows up.

And conditions matter a lot here. On fast, dry ground, A War Eagle has won 2 of his 3 races — that's a 67% win rate, which is an extraordinary figure. Over seven furlongs to a mile he has his best record too, winning 2 of his 9 races at those trips. His trainer Michael Easterby — part of the respected Easterby family operation at Sheriff Hutton in North Yorkshire, a yard that has sent out 55 winners already this season — has spoken openly about A War Eagle's potential. After the horse won at Beverley last summer despite awkward ground and a difficult draw, Easterby was clear: mark that performance up, because it flattered to deceive in terms of how easy it looked. He described him as a strong traveller who still has a bit of a mystery about his best distance.

That sense of an unresolved puzzle is part of what makes this horse worth watching. He has yet to win at Class 4 level in five attempts, which sits oddly alongside his Beverley record — but it may simply reflect that the right race at the right track on the right ground has not always aligned. When it does, as Beverley has shown twice now, the result tends to be decisive. Raced just one day ago and clearly an active, busy horse, the next chapter could come very soon.