Great Acclaim

The root of the problem, according to trainer Eve Johnson Houghton, lies with the handicapper. Great Acclaim finished last season having won four times and racing from a mark of 68. This year he was handed a weight of 92 — a 24-pound jump that has effectively shut him out of the winner's enclosure at the level where he now races. The maths is brutal: he has managed just one win from eight Class 2 races, a 12 percent win rate that reflects a horse punching above his weight and struggling to land a blow. His best form comes on normal ground, where he has won three times from seven attempts — a 43 percent win rate that suggests he should be avoided on heavy or watered ground.

Charles Bishop, who rides him in just over half his races, has found the key more often than most: they have combined for five wins from 18 outings, a 28 percent partnership rate that stands well above Great Acclaim's overall average. At Windsor, Great Acclaim has won twice from four races, establishing himself as a genuine course specialist who clearly enjoys what that track offers. The yard of Eve Johnson Houghton has sent out 42 winners this season, so support is there for horses who are going well — the challenge for Great Acclaim now is getting back on the up.