Ata Rangi

The real revelation is his preference for normal ground conditions. On standard surfaces, Ata Rangi has won two of four races — a 50 per cent win rate that's almost too good to be true. Switch him to wet or muddy ground, or fast, dry ground, and he's a different horse entirely. Trainer Ed Walker, based at Upper Lambourn, knows this. Walker told us the horse is genuinely solid but didn't quite progress after that Haydock win; the trainer is clear that seven furlongs suits him best and hopes for a better year ahead. It's the kind of candid assessment that matters: this isn't a horse with hidden class, but rather one who thrives in specific conditions at specific tracks.

His recent form reads 8-4-6-8-4-1 across his last six races, which tells the story of a horse capable of finishing in the top three but struggling to win. He's been active — he raced just a day ago — and still competes at Class 4 level, though he's won only once in four attempts at that standard. Ata Rangi is a horse for the spreadsheet, not the fairy tale. Get him on normal ground at Haydock, and he's a player. Elsewhere, he's a solid mid-field performer.