Cascade Hall

The puzzle with Cascade Hall is trip. He was originally a hurdler, bought off trainer Tom Malone and switched to racing on the flat, and his record tells the story of a horse still finding his feet. Over distances of a mile and six furlongs to two miles — the ground that should suit him best — he has won twice from 18 races, a respectable 11 per cent win rate. But drop him into Class 5 races and the wins vanish: he is zero from ten at that level, suggesting those modest race classes are simply too strong or too competitive for him to break through. With jockey Paul Mulrennan, his regular partner, he has yet to record a winner from nine rides together, another sign that the right conditions have not quite aligned.

Jim Goldie's yard at Uplawmoor has sent out 88 winners this season, so Cascade Hall has a trainer with the skill and firepower to get the job done. Goldie has always believed in the horse, describing him as having ability and vowing not to be disappointed if they do not win a few more races. The question now is whether Cascade Hall has the consistency or the luck to add to those two wins, or whether he will remain one of those likeable workers who run well but rarely get their heads in front.