Hijo De La Luna

The most encouraging thing about that Wolverhampton win is where it fits in the context of recent form. Looking at the last six runs, Hijo De La Luna has a second place and a third place sandwiched around some tougher days — and that sequence, read as a whole, suggests a horse that is finding its feet at this level rather than one that got lucky on a good day. Five weeks on from that win, the horse raced again just four days ago, which means Simon West's team clearly think there is more to come and are keeping the momentum going.

West's yard has sent out five winners this season, which for a smaller or mid-sized operation is a decent return — not a powerhouse stable, but one that is ticking along and finding winners. That matters, because it suggests Hijo De La Luna is not just being kept busy for the sake of it; the team know what they are doing.

The distance profile is worth noting too. At a mile and one or two furlongs, Hijo De La Luna has won 1 from 7 races — that is roughly 1 in 7, or about 14%, which is actually a meaningful improvement on the overall career average. For a horse with this kind of record, finding a trip that suits is everything, and that middle-distance range is clearly where the best version of this horse shows up. Racing at Class 6 — the entry level of British racing — the horse has won 1 from 8 at that level, around 1 in 8. It is not dominating the division, but it is competitive, and after 31 races, a horse that is still placing regularly and has just opened its winning account is one worth keeping an eye on.