Gris Majeur

What makes the current moment particularly interesting is the form he is showing right now. His last six races have gone 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 1st — read that from right to left and you are looking at a horse that has been knocking on the door for months before finally kicking it open. That win came at Bangor-on-Dee just days ago, making this a profile of a horse in the form of his life.

Sheila Lewis, who trains him from a small yard in Brecon in the Welsh hills, has sent out five winners this season — and Gris Majeur is one of them. It is a tidy operation rather than a high-volume powerhouse, which makes every winner count. Sean Houlihan has ridden him in nine of his races and won on him twice, a win rate of around 1 in 4.5, which is a solid partnership by any measure.

On normal ground — not too wet, not too dry — Gris Majeur is a different horse altogether. He has won 4 of his 13 races in those conditions, a win rate of 31%, compared to just one win from the remaining 14 races when the ground is anything else. That is a meaningful gap, and it tells you that when conditions suit, he moves up a gear.

He also has an affinity with Ludlow racecourse that borders on the remarkable. Two wins from just five races there — a 40% win rate — at a track where any horse would be lucky to win once from five attempts. Most of his races have come at Class 4 level, which sits in the middle of the British racing pyramid — competitive enough to mean something, without quite being the top table. At that level, winning 4 from 20 races (a 20% win rate) marks him out as a reliable, honest performer who earns his keep. Right now, he is earning it with interest.