Hatamoto

Tim Easterby's Great Habton yard has found the horse's sweet spot. Hatamoto absolutely thrives on dry, fast ground, winning 2 of every 3 races when conditions are firm — that's the kind of consistency that tells you something about the horse's character and constitution. Over its preferred distance of seven furlongs to a mile, it has won 2 of 5 races (40%), showing it knows how to get the job done when stretched slightly. But the real eye-catcher is Thirsk: this is a course where Hatamoto dominates, with 2 wins from just 3 visits. That sort of course specialist form — winning two-thirds of the time at one track — is exactly what keeps racing interesting, and it suggests the horse has genuine affinity for the place.

The recent momentum is unmistakable. A win, a place, then a sixth, followed by back-to-back wins and another place: that's the pattern of a horse gaining confidence. With another outing just yesterday, Hatamoto is clearly being kept busy while the form is flowing, and there is every reason to expect this run will continue.