The big clue to unlocking Captain Cool is the ground. On fast, dry conditions he has won all three times he has encountered them — a perfect 3 from 3. That is not a coincidence; that is a horse who fundamentally changes when conditions suit him. His most recent win came at Stratford-on-Avon just this week, and the yard will have been watching the weather forecast closely. When the ground is right, he is very hard to beat.
Captain Cool's regular partner in the saddle is Sean Quinlan, who has ridden him in 7 of his 15 races and won 2 of them — a win rate of roughly 1 in every 3.5 rides together, which is a solid partnership by any measure. The team behind him clearly have a plan. Candlish herself said earlier this year that he is going to make a lovely chaser, having already flagged that a step up to fences was the direction of travel. He took an unexpected fall at Doncaster in the spring — not a reflection of his ability, just one of those racing moments — but the key point from the stable was that he came out of it absolutely fine.
Candlish has had 64 winners from her yard this season alone, which underlines that this is a trainer who knows how to place a horse and keep them winning. One area where Captain Cool has not yet delivered is at Class 4 level, where he is 0 from 4 — but given his recent results and the trainer's confidence about what he can become over fences, that blank may not last much longer. He raced just yesterday and is very much a live, active prospect. If the sun keeps shining, keep him firmly on your radar.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedgefield Sharp |
5 | 1 win, 4 seconds | 1 Apr | 20% |
| Perth Galloping |
3 | 1 second, 1 third, 1 other | 7 Jun | 0% |
| Stratford-on-Avon Sharp |
2 | 2 wins | 30 Jun | 100% |
| Plumpton Sharp |
2 | 1 win, 1 third | 26 May | 50% |
| Musselburgh Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 31 Jan | 0% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 28 Feb | 0% |
| Southwell Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 2 Jun | 0% |