Ignition

What makes that Wolverhampton victory particularly interesting is where it came in the distance range. Over a mile and one to a mile and two furlongs, Ignition has now won 1 from 7 races — roughly 1 in every 7 at those trips — which is a far better conversion rate than its overall record suggests. That hints at a horse that genuinely suits a middle-distance test, and the trainer would surely be looking to keep it at those sorts of trips going forward. The recent form figures of 3-6-3-9-10-1 (reading oldest to most recent) show a horse that had been running respectably before everything clicked at Wolverhampton.

The yard behind Ignition is Thomas Faulkner's operation, based at Devauden in Monmouthshire, and they have been in decent nick this season — 16 winners on the board, which suggests a team that knows when a horse is ready to perform. Ignition has spent most of its career competing at the lower end of the sport's class structure, and at that level, a win is still a win. It took 18 attempts, but it arrived. The horse raced again just yesterday, which tells you the team is keeping it busy while confidence is high. Whether Ignition can turn one breakthrough into a consistent habit is the question — but for now, after a very long wait, there is at least an answer.