Ma Jacks Hill

The key to Ma Jacks Hill's improvement appears to be a wind operation performed before his first victory. Breathing problems are often invisible to the untrained eye but can cripple a horse's performance, draining energy through an entire race. Once that was addressed, Ma Jacks Hill showed what he was capable of. Kennedy, who has ridden him five times and won once in the saddle, has said the horse is built for better conditions—a galloping type who will settle and flow on firmer, faster ground rather than the soft, testing surfaces he has sometimes faced. Elliott himself described him as "a fine, big galloping horse," the kind that typically prefers to stride out and cover ground, not get bogged down.

What sets this horse apart from ordinary middle-of-the-road types is Elliott's certainty about his future. The trainer is convinced Ma Jacks Hill is a chaser in the making—a horse destined for the jumps rather than flat racing. That is a significant statement. Chasers are usually the more valuable, more celebrated athletes; they require athleticism, courage, and scope. If Elliott is right, then two wins from 14 races on the flat is almost beside the point—it is merely an apprenticeship. His recent form has been inconsistent: a second place just days ago was encouraging after a run of moderate finishes, but until he gets to the obstacles and begins his real education, we cannot know if the trainer's judgment will prove sound. What is certain is that the yard—which has already sent out 210 winners this season—is patient enough to take the long view.