Love Alive

That Wolverhampton win in February was the first time Love Alive had reached the winner's enclosure, and it came at a level — Class 5, which is the bread-and-butter tier of British racing — where the horse has shown its best form. In four races at that level, Love Alive has won once and finished placed, giving it a win rate of 25%, or 1 in every 4, which is actually a solid return. The challenge has been finding consistency, and the recent form tells a mixed tale: a solid third two runs back, but an 11th-place finish most recently, which would have been disappointing.

What makes this horse worth watching right now is that it raced just one day ago, meaning it's bang in the middle of an active campaign. Trainer Jessica Macey, based in Doncaster, has had 13 winners this season from her yard — a healthy tally that suggests a confident operation with horses running in form. When a trainer is firing in winners at that rate, even a horse that hasn't tasted success for five months is worth taking seriously. Macey will know what Love Alive needs to get back to its best, and at Class 5 level, the right opportunity could come around quickly.

At three years old, Love Alive is still a young horse finding its feet. A single win and two places from 11 races isn't yet the résumé of a star, but this is a horse with a proven ability to win, a trainer in good form, and a level of racing where it can genuinely compete. The next few months could be telling.