Jojo Rabbit

Ruth Carr trains him from her yard at Stillington in North Yorkshire — a setup that has sent out 56 winners already this season, so clearly knows how to keep horses in form. Jojo Rabbit's most regular partner in the saddle is James Sullivan, and between them they have built a genuine understanding: five wins from 34 races together, which works out at roughly 1 in every 7 rides — a solid return for this level. Sullivan knows how to place him, and the horse knows what Sullivan is asking.

The key detail, according to Carr, is the ground. On dry, fast conditions Jojo Rabbit has won 2 of his 10 races — 20%, or roughly 1 in 5 — which is a noticeably better conversion rate than his overall record of 1 win in every 7 to 8 races. When the turf is firm beneath him, he finds another gear. His most recent win came at Pontefract in April on exactly those terms, and Carr was pleased enough with how he did it to target further opportunities before the handicapper can adjust his mark upwards — the eternal game of finding the next race before the officials catch up.

Hollie Doyle, who rode him at Wolverhampton, picked up on something important: Jojo Rabbit runs better when he has a horse to follow early rather than setting the pace himself. At Lingfield he was out front and got hassled into making mistakes; with a lead to aim at, he settles and delivers. That kind of tactical nuance, built up over 54 races, is exactly what makes an experienced horse like this worth keeping in training. He hasn't won in his last six outings, but with another run coming up very shortly, the Carr yard clearly believes there is another win in him yet.