Henry Box Brown

Worcester is his fortress. Of six races at that track, he has won two — a win rate of one in three that stands well above his overall record. His most recent victory came there eight weeks ago on 16 July, a win that suggests he still has something left in the tank at nine years old. The track clearly suits him, and that matters enormously for a horse of his age and record. He also shows a preference for longer distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, winning one from six races at those trips — another 17 per cent rate that hints at a preference for stamina over speed.

Mrs C Williams trains him from Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan, a modest yard that has sent out three winners this season. He runs most often for Ellis Collier in the saddle, though that partnership has produced just two wins from sixteen races together — marginally better than his overall record. Henry Box Brown typically competes in Class 5 races, winning three from twenty-six at that level. He raced just yesterday and is still active, though his recent form has been patchy: a win four runs ago, but two sixth-place finishes and a fourth in his last six outings. At this stage of his career, he is what he appears to be — a workmanlike competitor who has found a corner of the track where he can still win, and a horse worth following back to Worcester.