Leadman

He is trained by David O'Meara at Upper Helmsley in North Yorkshire, a yard that has sent out 102 winners this season — so this is a stable that knows how to get horses winning. That makes Leadman's own record all the more modest by comparison. O'Meara picked him up from Andrew Balding's operation, and when asked about the horse during a stable visit earlier this year, was candid: there is ability there, but a soft temperament might be getting in the way. That is trainer-speak for a horse that does not always put its best effort in when it matters.

He tends to compete at Class 3 level — a solid middle tier of racing — and has won 1 of his 7 races at that level, or roughly 1 in 7, which sits at around 14%. His recent form tells a more difficult story: his last six runs have produced no wins, with finishes including an eighth, a sixth, and a twelfth. He raced just one day ago, so he is clearly being kept busy, but the results have not followed. Whether O'Meara can find the right race to get the best out of him remains the question.