Caballo de Guerra

His recent form tells a story of inconsistency. In his last six races he has finished second, sixth, then fourth, fourth, second, and fourth again. That second-place finish came just a day ago, meaning he is still racing and clearly sound. The trainers Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore, who run a yard in Perth that has already sent out 49 winners this season, clearly retain faith in him. After Caballo de Guerra jumped well in a recent race at Cheltenham, they described him as an "exciting prospect" who "jumped great" and came out of it with "plenty of credit," even though the race itself did not suit his style. They believe keenness in his racing is something the jumping will eventually settle.

What makes him interesting is the gap between his potential and his record. When he won at Kelso, Russell noted he has "loads of scope"—the kind of assessment trainers use when they see genuine ability that has not yet come together. The fact that he keeps placing but rarely winning, combined with the trainers' conviction that he still has something left to offer, suggests Caballo de Guerra may simply be waiting for the right race at the right track. Whether he can rediscover the form that brought that Class 4 victory remains the open question.