Further Measure

The real key to understanding Further Measure lies in his preferences. Put him on wet or muddy ground and he becomes a different proposition: he has won 3 of his 10 races on such conditions, which is nearly double his overall win rate. Similarly, he clearly relishes the longer trips between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, winning 6 of 29 races at those distances compared to just 2 wins from the shorter races. Most tellingly, Southwell is his track. He has won 3 of his 9 races there — a third of his visits paying off — making it the one place where the yards and the jockeys can be confident they are sending a genuine contender.

Trained by Mike Murphy's yard at Westoning in Bedfordshire, Further Measure typically competes in Class 6 races, where his record of 4 wins from 19 starts shows he belongs at that level. His last victory came at Kempton Park on 11 February this year, six months ago, suggesting he may be building towards another win. Recent form has been frustratingly inconsistent — a win two weeks ago followed by a pair of placings and a couple of misses — but at this stage of his career, when a horse is still racing actively and competitive enough to trouble the placings regularly, there is value in knowing what he does well. On wet ground, over a longer distance, ideally at Southwell, Further Measure is a horse worth watching.