Lexington Jet

David Loughnane, who trains out of Stoke Heath in Shropshire, has been a fan since the horse first arrived at the yard. He's described Lexington Jet as having "a big engine" and says he's loved him from day one — that kind of enthusiasm from a trainer usually means something, because they see hundreds of horses up close and most of them are quietly unremarkable. Loughnane's yard has sent out 39 winners already this season, so this is a team that knows what a good horse looks like. Lexington Jet is owned by Middleham Park, one of the more prominent ownership syndicates in British racing.

The horse's form makes most sense when you look at where and how he's asked to run. On normal ground, he wins 3 from 10 — 30%, or nearly 1 in 3 — which is a strong return. Over distances between a mile and a mile and two furlongs, that jumps to an eye-catching 3 wins from just 6 races, a 50% record that puts him firmly in his comfort zone. The bulk of his racing has come at Class 5 level, the everyday bread-and-butter tier of British racing, where he's won just 1 from 13 — a modest 8%. That gap between his Class 5 record and his overall figures suggests the wins have come in better or more suitable conditions, and that when everything clicks — right track, right distance, right ground — he's a genuinely different proposition.

His recent form reads 9-10-6-1-10-1 with the most recent first, meaning two wins sandwiched around some disappointing efforts. The last of those wins came at Chester just six weeks ago, and he raced again only yesterday, so he's clearly a busy horse right now. Jockey Rossa Ryan has partnered him five times for one win together, a 20% record that mirrors his overall rate. There's nothing flashy about this horse's CV, but the Chelmsford numbers alone are enough to make you sit up straight.