Elsass

The key to Elsass is distance. At a mile and three to a mile and four furlongs — roughly the middle-distance trips on the flat — it has won 3 of its 7 races at those lengths, a win rate of 43%, or almost 1 in every 2. That is a striking number. It tells you this horse has found its sweet spot, and when conditions suit, it is genuinely hard to beat. Its first win came at Chelmsford in August 2025, and it added its most recent victory at Hamilton Park in May 2026. Seven weeks on from that, it raced again just yesterday, which shows the team are keeping it busy while it is in form — always a sign that a yard believes in what they have.

That yard is worth paying attention to. Charlie Johnston's operation at Middleham Moor has sent out 131 winners already this season, which is the output of a stable firing on all cylinders. Johnston is one of the most prolific trainers in Britain right now, and horses in his care tend to be placed intelligently and given every chance to win.

The one figure that gives a little pause is the partnership with regular jockey Joe Fanning. Together, they have raced 8 times and won just once — roughly 1 in every 8 rides. That is a modest return given how well Elsass has been running overall, and it suggests the horse's recent wins may have come with different riders in the saddle. It is a small wrinkle in an otherwise bright picture.

Elsass races mainly at Class 5, which is the bread-and-butter level of British flat racing rather than the glamour end, but what matters is that it is winning there with real consistency right now. A horse in form, with a patient trainer, racing regularly and over the distances it loves — that is a profile worth following.