Glory And Honour

The horse truly comes alive on wet ground. Over muddy or waterlogged tracks he wins roughly 1 in every 4 races (3 wins from 11), nearly double his overall rate. He also shows a preference for longer distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, where he has won 4 of his last 14 races (29 per cent). Wolverhampton, in particular, has been a happy hunting ground—he has won twice in just four visits there. His most recent victory came at Hexham in June, over two miles, and Sam England's yard at Guiseley has been producing winners at a steady clip this season, having sent out 49 already.

What makes Glory And Honour tick, according to his trainer, is racing in the right conditions and over the right distance. The horse thrives when he gets a fast, galloping race—he is a strong traveller who needs others to push the pace, and he doesn't accelerate like sprinters do. When conditions are ideal, he settles and runs his race. First-time blinkers helped him win that chase at Hexham. He has spent years mixing flat racing and jumping, which explains why he can look inconsistent at higher class levels (just 1 win from 17 attempts at Class 3 standard), yet excel in his comfort zone. Jonathan England, his regular jockey, has ridden him 29 times and won 4 races together at a similar 14 per cent rate.

After a four-month break, Glory And Honour is still active and still racing. He is a horse that knows his game—wet ground, a distance of two miles or more, and a proper pace—and a yard that understands him well enough to place him in races where those elements come together.