Marhaba The Champ

York is where Marhaba The Champ has shown his best form, winning twice from seven races there. Both victories came on fast ground: one at the Dante meeting in May 2023, and another in August the same year. Since that August win, however, he has been shut out for two and a half years, and his recent form has been poor — his last six races have yielded a 13th place, a 6th, a 9th, and a 12th. That's not the record of a horse going anywhere, but trainer Sophie Leech seems unfazed. He points to his winter shape and reckons he has the physique for a big run, especially back at York if the ground cooperates. He has also hinted that stepping up in distance could unlock something new, though nothing is imminent.

The puzzle with Marhaba The Champ is consistency. He runs best when conditions are absolutely right — fast ground, the 1m1f to 1m2f sweet spot, and ideally at York. Put him in a Class 2 race under those circumstances, and he wins roughly one in every six or seven attempts. Miss any of those boxes and his form collapses. With nothing won since August 2023 and only middling efforts in recent months, he needs the weather to turn in his favour and a return to York to remind himself — and his the yard — what he is capable of.