Koko Blue

The most interesting pattern in Koko Blue's recent runs is how close it keeps getting to more wins. In its last six races it has finished 1-1-3-2-3-3—two victories and three second or third place finishes in the last month. That consistency and those near-misses suggest the horse belongs at this level and is genuinely capable on its day. Trainer Tom Clover, based at Newmarket, runs a yard that has already produced 23 winners this season, so there is clearly quality coaching at work.

The one puzzle is the partnership with jockey Lewis Edmunds, who has ridden Koko Blue six times without a single win despite the horse winning 2 of its last 6 races overall. That's a disconnect worth watching—either a different rider might find something the current one hasn't, or Edmunds may simply not have been aboard for the right races. Over the middle distances of 1m3f to 1m4f, Koko Blue has won 2 of 7 races, suggesting those trips suit it best. The horse clearly prefers life outside the top class—it has never won in Class 6 company—but keeps winning where it matters most, at its natural level. With two wins in the space of a month and current form reading like a series of near-misses, Koko Blue is a horse gathering momentum.