Harry Brown

What makes Harry Brown interesting is how much he improves when the ground is normal and firm — the kind of track conditions you see on most racing days. On that sort of surface, he wins roughly 1 in every 5 to 6 races, a genuine lift from his overall record. Put him on soft or heavy ground and his form drops away. His last win came at Lingfield Park on 9 May, five months ago, suggesting he was once a reliable performer at the lower levels but has lost his edge. When he does race in Class 6 — the bottom tier of competitive racing — he wins roughly 1 in 6 races, respectable form for a horse of his age and experience.

Hayley Turner, one of Britain's leading female jockeys, has ridden him in 11 races and won twice, a win rate of 18 per cent. That is fractionally better than his overall record, but the sample is small. Peter Crate, his trainer at Reigate in Surrey, has a quiet yard that sent out only 2 winners all season, which puts Harry Brown into perspective: he is a genuine plugger, not a star. Still active and racing just yesterday, he remains a horse trying to find his way back into form.