Berkenshtaaap

The key to understanding Berkenshtaaap is distance. Give it two miles or more and it thrives: it has won 2 of its 5 races at that distance, a 40 per cent win rate that reveals a genuine strength. Ask it to run shorter and the picture changes entirely. The horse has never won in top-level races either—0 wins from 3 attempts in Class 5—which tells you it is a creature of the smaller tracks and longer trips, and that is absolutely fine. Perth clearly suits it. The recent form line of 1-1-4-10-4-8 shows inconsistency, but the two wins at the top tell the story: when conditions align and the distance is right, Berkenshtaaap delivers. Murphy's yard at Wilmcote has sent out 146 winners this season, so the horse is in a busily competent operation. Having just raced, it is still actively campaigned, and with Perth as a happy hunting ground, expect the the yard to keep heading back there when the right race appears.