Dr Strangelove

Oliver Cole's yard at Whatcombe, Oxon has sent out 8 winners this season, so there is form and competence behind the saddle. Where Dr Strangelove genuinely catches the eye is in Class 4 company — the lower tier of competitive racing. In those races, the horse has won 1 of 3 attempts, a 33 per cent win rate. Drop it in among the right level of opposition and it delivers. The problem is consistency. Recent form reads 5-2-2-3-4-7 across the last six races, with a placed finish or better in three of those outings, yet the wins have dried up entirely. The horse raced just a day ago, so it remains active and in work, but the long drought since October suggests Dr Strangelove may need either a drop in class, a return to its favoured distances, or both, to rediscover the winning thread.