Copper Knight

He has won 10 races from 67 starts, a win rate of roughly 1 in every 7 attempts. That is a respectable record for a horse competing mainly at Class 2 level, where the competition is fierce. What makes him interesting is not just the wins themselves, but where and when they happen. At Pontefract, he has won 2 of his last 3 races there — he is not just a course horse but a course specialist, the kind that turns up and delivers. He also adores slightly soft or wet ground, winning nearly 1 in every 3 races on those surfaces, which gives his the yard a clear tactical edge when conditions favour him.

The partnership with Sean Kirrane tells its own story. Together they have won 4 of 15 races, a win rate of 27 percent — significantly above Copper Knight's career average. Last week, Kirrane won on him at Chester, a Class 2 victory that Kirrane himself described as a delight after years of near-misses on the horse. That win came just days ago, and Copper Knight remains active and competitive. Tim Easterby's Great Habton yard, which has sent out 128 winners this season alone, clearly knows how to keep this old warrior ticking. The stable assistant called him a yard superstar and a legend — the kind of affectionate, unblemished respect that suggests Copper Knight is one of those horses that transcends his mere record on the track. He may not win often, but when the conditions align and the right jockey is on board, he still knows how to get the job done.