Avec Grand Plaisir

What stands out is Avec Grand Plaisir's preference for the middle distances between a mile and a furlong and a mile and two furlongs. Over that range, it wins roughly 1 in every 4 races, a win rate of 25 percent — a sharp contrast to its overall record. That kind of course-and-distance form is exactly what sharp trainers use to plan their campaigns. The recent form reads encouragingly: a win last time out, a second place before that, an eighth, then a third. That's not a horse falling apart; it's one that placed in four of its last six attempts and finally got its name on the board. With the yard in relatively productive form this season and Avec Grand Plaisir actively racing, there is every chance more opportunities lie ahead in the coming weeks.