Launceston

The most revealing pattern in Launceston's record is his preference for races between 1m1f and 1m2f, where he has won 1 of 4 races (25%) — a quarter of his attempts at that distance have come good, which is nearly four times his overall win rate. That Ffos Las victory two weeks ago, his only win to date, came at 1m1f, so there is genuine evidence that he runs better over this stretch of ground than anywhere else. Trainer Tony Carroll's Cropthorne yard has been in exceptional form this season with 136 winners, so Launceston has a competent outfit behind him, but the horse himself remains a modest operator.

A curious note: Luke Morris has been his regular rider, taking the mount in 8 of his 18 races, yet they have never crossed the line first together. That partnership is winless, though the horse did deliver that recent third-place finish. At the higher Class 4 level, Launceston has won nothing from 5 attempts, which explains why he is best suited to easier races further down the scale. He was out just yesterday, suggesting he is a regular in the ring and keeping his yard ticking over, if not often enough a winner.