Goodwin

The partnership with jockey Freddie Gordon has been crucial to that success. The pair have teamed up ten times with three wins between them — a 30 percent win rate that speaks to a real understanding. According to trainer Chris Gordon, it was Freddie's patient front-running that made the Plumpton win possible; he set a nice pace and held on despite pressure late in the race, exactly the kind of tactical racing that an older horse rewards. Gordon's yard, based at Morestead in Hampshire, has been prolific this season with 51 winners, but Goodwin's Class 2 victory at Plumpton was clearly a standout moment — the trainer was grateful for the prize-money on offer and full of praise for the track's support of jump racing.

The concern is consistency. In his last six races, Goodwin has finished second, third, first, eighth, thirteenth and once missed the card altogether. That's wildly erratic form, and at Class 3 level — where he typically races — he wins just once from every six attempts. He is not reliably dominant anywhere except Plumpton, and that narrow window may not open often enough to make him a major player. But when conditions align and he gets to a track where he jumps well and travels nicely, he has shown he can deliver against proper opposition.