Farandaway

The surprise, though, is how rarely he wins at the level where he typically races. In Class 5 company—the bread-and-butter division where most horses at his level compete—Farandaway has not won once in 12 attempts. But stretch him out to distances between seven furlongs and a mile, and suddenly he becomes a different proposition: one win from three races, a 33% win rate that stands out sharply against his overall figures. His first career win came at Newcastle in March, and it took until September at Ripon for his second, suggesting he needed time to find what works. That third win came within three weeks of the second, implying a horse that has now clicked into a groove.

Trainer Grant Tuer runs a yard at Birkby in North Yorkshire that has already sent out 29 winners this season, so there is proven form in the stable. Tuer sees something in Farandaway worth nurturing—describing him as talented and unlucky rather than limited—and reckons softer ground over shorter distances might be where the horse truly belongs. The theory is that winter will build his strength and there may yet be opportunities at a lower level where he can add to his tally. With Oliver Stammers in the saddle most often (though their combined record is modest), Farandaway remains a work in progress. For now, he is a horse trending the right way, but one still waiting to prove he can do it consistently.