Eroico

The recent form figures — 5, 2, 4, 4, 5, 11 — tell an interesting story. That eleventh-place finish looks like an outlier, because since then the horse has been consistently mid-pack, creeping closer to the front with a second place mixed in. It is not a horse that has fallen away or lost interest; it keeps showing up and finishing in the hunt, which is more than can be said for plenty of horses at this stage of their career.

Behind the scenes, Eroico is trained by Martin Todhunter, who operates out of Orton in Cumbria — a small northern yard that tends to fly under the radar but has already sent out 9 winners this season. Todhunter is not a name that makes headlines every week, but a trainer who keeps finding winners with limited resources is usually one who knows exactly what each horse needs and when to run it. The fact that Eroico keeps getting entries suggests the team believe there is a race to be won somewhere down the line.

Whether that win arrives soon is the question. At four years old, there is still time. The consistent mid-field finishes hint at a horse that is learning its trade rather than one that has already hit its ceiling, and with a trainer in form around it, the ingredients are at least in place. Patience is the watchword here.