Daring Plan

What stands out is Daring Plan's strong preference for normal ground. On quick, dry surfaces it has a 33% win rate — two wins from six races — which is considerably better than its overall record. When the ground turns wet or muddy, or gets faster, the horse seems to lose its footing. Susan Gardner's yard at Longdown in Devon has found the right conditions and the right moments, and it is paying off. Lucy Gardner, the jockey who has ridden the horse most often, has had tougher luck — fourteen rides without a win — but that has not stopped the partnership from getting results recently.

The one puzzle is Daring Plan's complete lack of success in higher-class races. In nine attempts at the strongest level it competes at, it has never managed to win. But horses like this are not built for the top tier anyway. They are steady earners, reliable finishers, and — as this week showed — still capable of turning in a winning performance when everything lines up right. For a horse in its ninth year of racing, that is enough.