Greek Order

Trained by Michael Bell at Newmarket, Greek Order has won 2 from 16 races across his career, roughly 1 in every 8. That is a modest record on paper, but context matters enormously here. The yard has sent out 45 winners this season, so this is not a stable short of form. What makes Greek Order worth watching is where he came from and what his team believes he is capable of. He was bought at the Keeneland sale in America only about a month ago, which means Bell's team have barely had him in their hands. His last run in the States saw him beaten two lengths despite being pushed six wide for most of the race — a nightmare trip that would have flattered most horses just to finish.

He is entered for the Royal Hunt Cup, one of the more competitive mass-field races of the season, and the key detail is his rating of 95. That is the same mark he carried as a three-year-old when he finished a close second in the Cambridgeshire, a notoriously difficult and competitive race. That piece of history suggests there is a horse in here capable of outrunning his current position in the market — it is just a question of whether the pieces fall into place.

His best distance appears to be between a mile and three furlongs and a mile and four furlongs, where he has won 1 from 4 races — 25%, or roughly 1 in every 4. That is a meaningfully better return than his overall record suggests. His toughest challenge has been at Class 2 level — among the better races in Britain — where he has run 7 times without winning. The Royal Hunt Cup sits squarely in that bracket, so he has work to do. Ryan Moore, one of the best riders in the country, has been on board for 5 of his races and won once — 20%, or 1 in 5 — which at least gives the partnership some basis for optimism heading into a big field on a big day.