Carolus Magnus

His recent form has been mixed. In his last six outings, he has finished second, eighth, second, first, sixth, and second again, a pattern that shows both promise and frustration in equal measure. He performs best on normal ground, where he has won 3 of his 16 races (about 19 percent), nearly twice his overall win rate. When tracks get faster and firmer, or heavy and wet, he seems to lose his footing. Joanna Mason has ridden him frequently—13 times—but has won just once, reflecting his general difficulty in the ring. Trained by Michael and David Easterby at Sheriff Hutton in Yorkshire, a yard that has already sent out 55 winners this season, Carolus Magnus remains a hard horse to crack. When he steps up to top-level company—Class 1 or 2 races—he has never won from nine attempts. But on the right day, at the right track, with the ground in his favour, he remains dangerous.