Ernest Gray

The real story with Ernest Gray lies in his ground preferences. Put him on normal, standard ground and he transforms into something considerably more dangerous: four wins from ten races at those conditions is a 40 per cent win rate, nearly double his overall average. That kind of specificity is valuable. It tells his trainer, Alan King at Wroughton in Wiltshire, exactly when to pitch him forward. When the ground dries out fast or turns heavy and muddy, he's considerably less effective. At Class 4 level specifically, where most of his races come, he has won 3 of 15, which is a 20 per cent return — solid but nothing spectacular.

The partnership with regular rider Tom Cannon hasn't quite caught fire, with only 2 wins from 16 races together suggesting they may not have found perfect synergy. But Ernest Gray's recent form tells a more encouraging story. In his last six races he has won twice, finished second once, and filled a place three times — real consistency from a horse that has earned his place in a yard sending out 57 winners this season. At nine years old, when many horses are beginning their decline, Ernest Gray is clearly still finding enough to win at his level, and with the right ground conditions and the right race, he remains a horse worth watching.