Appier

His recent form has been mixed. In his last six outings, he has placed three times, won once, and had two disappointing efforts, finishing sixth and thirteenth. That sequence tells a familiar story: good days and bad days, as horses do. What matters more is that he last won three months ago at Goodwood on 12 June, just one race ago, which suggests he was back in the winner's circle recently and may still have winning races left in him. His trainer Tony Carroll, based at Cropthorne in Worcestershire, runs a prolific yard that has sent out 136 winners this season alone, so Appier is in a stable that knows how to find races and pick the right moments.

There is a notable quirk in Appier's record: at Wolverhampton, he has won two races from five attempts, a win rate that stands out sharply against his overall one-in-five average. Wolverhampton suits him in a way other tracks do not — perhaps the track itself, perhaps the type of races run there. That kind of course specialisation is worth watching. Kieran O'Neill, his most regular jockey, has ridden him eight times and won twice, a rate of one win every four races that is slightly better than the horse's baseline. At this stage of Appier's career, with eleven wins under his belt and still running regularly, he is exactly what racing needs: a genuine competitor who turns up, competes fairly, and occasionally gets his head in front.