Due To Henry

The horse's recent form shows glimpses of that wet-ground magic. He won at Salisbury just this week, adding to earlier victories at Windsor and Newbury, all on soft ground. Eve Johnson Houghton, his trainer at Blewbury in Oxfordshire, knows exactly what her horse needs and has been patient waiting for the weather to cooperate. His yard has already sent out 42 winners this season, so he knows how to win—and he knows how to train a horse that demands its preferred conditions. The key to Due To Henry's future isn't complicated: when rain falls, back him in.

What's puzzling is his recent inconsistency in his last six races, where he's picked up just one win and a couple of minor placings among some forgettable efforts. That slip in form might partly explain why he tends to race in Class 4 company—wins of just one from six at that level suggest he's working at his ceiling. He's honest and willing, but not spectacular on firm or standard ground. The horse that wins at 60% when it rains, though, is a different proposition entirely. Eve Johnson Houghton and her team will be watching the forecast closely.