A War Eagle

His recent form tells an interesting story. Reading the last six runs from newest to oldest — 4th, 3rd, 5th, 5th, 1st, 8th — you can see a horse that has been knocking consistently on the door without quite breaking through again since that Beverley win in April. He's placed in four of his last five races, which suggests he's in good shape and running well, just waiting for the right moment.

The trainer Michael Easterby has been candid about how he views this horse. Speaking earlier in the summer, he pointed out that A War Eagle ran into a better horse on his first try in a handicap, then won well at Beverley despite awkward conditions and a tricky draw — suggesting that performance deserves more credit than the bare result implies. Easterby described him as a strong traveller who's still being figured out in terms of his ideal distance, which is both honest and intriguing. A trainer saying he hasn't cracked the code yet on a horse is actually a promising sign — it means there may be more to come.

The dry ground angle is worth noting too. On fast or firm conditions he's won 2 from 4 races — that 50% ratio is exceptional — while on other ground he's yet to win. The yard at Sheriff Hutton has been in fine form this season with 55 winners sent out, so A War Eagle is operating in a confident, well-organised stable. He raced just yesterday, which tells you the team believe he's thriving right now.

He's yet to win at the Class 4 level where he usually competes — 0 from 5 at that grade — which sounds like a worry until you realise his wins have come when conditions have been in his favour at Beverley specifically. This is a horse with a genuine quirk: get him to the right track on a dry day, and the evidence says he becomes a different animal entirely.