Hell of A Spin

The worry is the form over the past month or so. Hell of A Spin has finished third, third, third, first, and second in its last five outings, which means that one win in July now feels quite distant. Three consecutive thirds suggest the horse is running into better company or simply hasn't quite clicked back into gear. But the fact that it's staying in the places every time out shows there's something there — a young horse that runs a race every time, rather than one that's wildly inconsistent or out of its depth. With Adrian Keatley's yard at Ryedale sending out 43 winners already this season, Hell of A Spin has the support of a trainer who clearly knows how to get results.

At two years old, this horse is still learning its trade. A 20% win rate — one victory in five attempts — is respectable for a horse this young finding its level. The key now is whether that recent dip in form is just the natural ups and downs of racing, or a sign that something needs adjusting. Given the consistency of the placing record, Hell of A Spin looks like a horse worth following rather than one in serious trouble. The trainer will be working to get it back to the form that produced that July win, and sometimes that takes a race or two.