Ideal Guest

What makes Ideal Guest genuinely difficult to train, according to Bethell's yard in Arnold, East Yorkshire, is his temperament. He is naturally keen and headstrong — "as free as the wind" — which makes it hard to settle him in races. The stable has tried various headgear to help manage this, but the problem persists. Last month, despite Brighton looking like his perfect race (a track where he had won twice before, running in a race for horses without a win that year), he still managed only fifth place. The following week at Carlisle was worse: he finished last. These recent runs — his last six races have yielded just one fourth-place finish — suggest Ideal Guest is struggling to recapture the form that earned him his wins. His jockey Tom Queally, who rides him regularly, has partnered him to 2 wins from 11 races together, a win rate of 18 per cent, which is solid without being outstanding. At this stage of his career, Ideal Guest remains a horse with proven ability at the right track but one whose natural exuberance may ultimately limit what he can achieve.