Merlin The Wizard

What the record does show clearly is where Merlin The Wizard is at its best. At distances between seven furlongs and a mile, it has won 2 of its 8 races — a 25% win rate, or 1 in every 4. For context, a horse winning a quarter of its races at its preferred trip is genuinely good going. It also has an excellent record at Class 4 level — the mid-tier of British racing — where it has won 2 of just 4 attempts, meaning it has converted half its chances at that grade. That is the kind of stat that makes a trainer sit up and think carefully about where to run a horse next.

The partnership with Hollie Doyle is one of the more encouraging threads running through this horse's story. One of the most decorated jockeys in Britain, Doyle has ridden Merlin The Wizard seven times and won on 2 of them — a win rate of 29%, or nearly 1 in every 3. That is significantly better than the horse's overall record and suggests the combination works. Trainer R P Cody operates from Dunnamaggin in County Kilkenny and has sent out 6 winners already this season, so the yard is in form even if this particular horse is waiting for its moment.

Merlin The Wizard raced just yesterday, so it is clearly still in active training and its the yard are not giving up on it. The profile of this horse — best between seven furlongs and a mile, effective at mid-tier level, better with a familiar jockey — gives a trainer plenty to work with. Whether it can end a 34-month winless run is the question, but the ingredients for a good day are still there.