Lihyan

The partnership with jockey William Maggs has been productive. In 21 races together they have won 5 times, a 24% win rate that is well above his overall average. Menzies has turned the horse around by switching to waiting tactics and asking him to race over longer distances, a simple but effective change that has unlocked the staying power Lihyan always had. The trainer is confident enough to target a Class 2 conditional jockeys' race at Aintree on 27 October — a 3-mile hurdle where he should be suited by the strong pace and the kind of ground that suits true stayers. Musselburgh's 3-mile races in soft conditions are also earmarked as ideal opportunities.

Lihyan may never be a top-level horse — in Class 4 races, his most natural level, he has won just once from 11 attempts — but he has found his niche as a reliable, gutsy performer over distance. Rebecca Menzies's Morden yard has already sent out 36 winners this season, and Lihyan fits the profile of a honest servant who wins often enough to be worth running. At eight years old and still active, he is in the twilight of his career, but so long as the ground suits and the races are suited to his stamina, he remains capable of adding to his tally.