Johnny Soda

The real encouragement lies in his recent record. Over his last six races, Johnny Soda has won twice and placed twice, which shows a genuine uptick in performance. His most recent victory came at Killarney on 13 July, and while that was three months ago, the fact he has raced five times since suggests the horse is being kept busy and given plenty of opportunities to get back into the winner's circle. There is a clear preference for normal ground conditions: he has won 2 of his 5 races on standard ground, a 40% win rate that stands out sharply against his overall record. Conditions like that suit him, and the yard will no doubt be keeping an eye on the going when planning his next few runs.

One puzzle is his record with Adam Caffrey, his regular jockey. They have paired up five times without a win between them, which is unusual given the horse's general form. Whether it's bad luck, timing, or a mismatch remains to be seen, but either Johnny Soda or the yard will be hoping that changes soon. For now, he is a horse to keep tabs on—consistent enough to suggest he belongs in the frame regularly, with enough recent form to believe another win is not far away.