Cinnodin

The key to Cinnodin lies in the details. Lengthen the race to between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, and his win rate climbs to 36 percent—five wins from 14 races. Soften the ground after rain or frost, and he wins roughly 1 in every 3 starts. He is, in short, a stayer who loves a battle on the mud. Jamie Snowden, the trainer at Lambourn, has suggested that Cinnodin is "his own worst enemy" because he keeps running well enough to compete in races that do not quite suit him, making it difficult to find the perfect soft-ground, two-mile handicap that would bring out his best. When jockey Finley Marsh is in the saddle—the pair have won together at nearly 28 percent—there is a noticeable lift in performance, suggesting they work well as a partnership.

His last win came four months ago at Uttoxeter, which is now some time ago in racing terms, and Cinnodin raced just yesterday, so he is still an active and regular competitor. He holds a particular fondness for Kempton Park, winning 2 of his 6 races there. For a horse at Class 4 level—where he has won 3 of 14 starts—there is nothing flashy about Cinnodin, but there is something dependable. He is a horse that, given the right race on the right day with the ground in his favour, will win. Finding that race is the trainer's job, and so far it has been a patient hunt.