Crafty Blue

The most encouraging detail is Crafty Blue's recent run at Leicester on 22 July, where it landed its second career win just over eight weeks ago. That victory came at a distance—somewhere between five and six and a half furlongs—where the horse genuinely excels. When races fall into that range, Crafty Blue wins roughly 1 in every 3 times (1 win from 3 races), which is a proper strength. The horse's last six runs tell the story of a young animal still learning its trade: a pair of placed finishes sandwiched around a win, followed by a ninth-place effort and another ninth. That dip suggests it can be wayward, but with only a week having passed since its last outing, Crafty Blue is clearly being kept busy—a sign the trainer, Richard Hannon, believes there is more to come.

Hannon's yard at Herridge in Wiltshire has sent out 118 winners this season, so Crafty Blue is in a strong training operation with plenty of firepower around it. For a 3-year-old still finding its feet, that's no bad thing. The horse needs to find more consistency, but the pieces are there: a clear distance preference, a trainer in form, and a recent win to build on. If Crafty Blue can cut out the ninth-place finishes and string a run of placed efforts together, it could develop into something worth watching.