Mayday Games

Over 14 career races, the horse has won twice and finished in the top 3 a further three times, which tells you this is a mid-level performer that wins races without dominating. The recent form is encouraging: two wins in the last six starts, including victory at Stratford-on-Avon just six weeks ago. The last run, however, was a distant 11th, but there is enough momentum here to suggest the horse remains competitive at the right track and the right conditions.

Trainer Shaun Lycett's Leafield yard has sent out just two winners this season, so Mayday Games represents a decent win rate from the stable. The challenge for the horse — and for anyone watching — is that it has never won at Class 5 level, the higher grade at which it typically competes. It wins when stepping down in standard and when racing on normal ground at Stratford-on-Avon. That specificity is the key to understanding this horse: it is a course-and-ground specialist rather than a consistent winner, and those races at Stratford-on-Avon on good ground are where the pattern suggests it will win next.