Grann's Boy

Distance also matters hugely to Grann's Boy. The longer the race, the better he runs. Over 2 miles or further, he has won 5 of his 14 attempts, roughly a 36 percent win rate — nearly double his overall average. Pair that preference with his love of soft ground and you have a horse whose best days come in winter or spring, in longer races, when the Irish tracks are heavy and heavy.

Most encouragingly, he just won at Galway this week, his second victory at the course from 6 runs. Galway clearly suits him, and recent form suggests he is in good order right now. His last six races have brought a win, two second-place finishes, and one sixth, showing genuine consistency. He is ridden most often by Adam Caffrey, though their partnership has yielded only 2 wins from 11 races together. Trained by H Rogers at Ardee, in County Louth, Grann's Boy remains an active and useful handicapper — exactly the sort of horse that repays close attention when conditions and distance line up in his favour.