Haarar

Haarar is trained by Sam England at Guiseley in West Yorkshire, and the yard is having a productive season — 49 winners already this term, which is the kind of output that marks out a stable firing on all cylinders. Sam's son Jonathan England does much of the riding, and that partnership has been quietly effective: four wins from 16 races together, a win rate of 25%, or roughly 1 in every 4. When the two team up, it tends to go well.

The trainer has been candid about what makes Haarar tick. He prefers some cut in the ground — on wet or softer surfaces he comes alive — and he actually jarred himself up on a dry, fast surface at Musselburgh, which explains why his form dips in those conditions. On normal ground he has won 2 from 5, a 40% win rate, which is excellent. He is also a genuine stayer, comfortable over distances up to two and a half miles, and he mixes flat racing with hurdles — an unusual double life that keeps him busy and versatile.

His best work tends to come at Class 4 level — one step below the top end of everyday racing — where he has won 5 from 19, just over 1 in every 4 races. That is a horse who knows his level and performs reliably at it. His trainer sees more wins to come, pointing to a race at Redcar's final flat meeting as a possible target — a race he won last year and clearly has a strong chance of winning again.

Recent form shows a win followed by a couple of mid-field efforts, which is pretty typical for a horse running frequently. The trainer describes him as "so straightforward" — and in racing, that is worth more than it sounds. Haarar is not complicated, not fragile, and not done yet.