Burgundy Man

That win came after a long wait. Fourteen races to get off the mark is a test of patience for anyone involved, and for a nine-year-old, a first career win carries a certain weight to it. It did not arrive through luck, either — the recent form tells its own story. In the six races leading up to that Perth victory, Burgundy Man finished second twice and third three times before winning. That is a horse that has been competitive for a while, knocking on the door repeatedly before it finally opened.

The one complication is the jockey partnership. Ben Smith has ridden Burgundy Man six times together and has yet to ride him to a win — though it is worth noting that the pair were clearly in the mix before the breakthrough came, and Smith has been a consistent presence in the saddle. The yard itself, run by R Mike Smith over in Galston in East Ayrshire, has had a productive season with 25 winners sent out — so there is clearly a functioning operation behind this horse.

Now Burgundy Man returns from a five-month break, which is a significant gap. Horses can come back sharper after a rest, or they can need a run or two to find their rhythm again. At Class 5, where he has spent most of his career — winning 1 from 12 at that level, roughly one in every twelve tries — the margins are fine and the competition is real. A horse that just found his winning form before going away will need to show he can pick up where he left off. Whether the Perth win was a turning point or a one-off, the next few races will tell you everything.