First Officer

What makes First Officer worth watching, though, is a clear preference for wet ground. When conditions are soft or muddy, he changes gear entirely. He has won two of his six races on such going — a 33% win rate — which is dramatically better than his overall record. For a horse being trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam at Dalham in Suffolk, whose yard has already sent out 24 winners this season, that kind of course preference is a useful compass. When the forecast brings rain and the track firms up muddy, First Officer becomes worth a second look.

He typically races in Class 4 company, where he has managed three wins from 19 races, a 16% success rate at that grade. David Egan, his most frequent rider, has steered him home just once from seven attempts together. At seven years old and after two years without a win, First Officer is clearly past his peak, but horses who show a pattern — even a narrow one — can surprise. The next wet-ground race at a track that suits him remains his best chance to prove he still has something left to offer.