The horse's recent form is encouraging. His last six races have brought two places and four second-place finishes, with only one unplaced run, which suggests he is in a run of consistent form and competitive racing. He won last at Thirsk on 14 August, five weeks ago, and was still racing just a day ago, so Military Leader remains active and in work. He performs noticeably better on normal ground conditions, where he has won 2 of 4 races — a 50% win rate at that going — compared to his overall record, which hints that he may struggle when the track is either very wet or very firm.
Trainer Phillip Makin, based at Easingwold in North Yorkshire, has saddled him for all his races. Makin's yard has sent out 9 winners this season, a steady rate for a smaller operation. Rowan Scott has been Military Leader's most frequent jockey, riding him in 9 races and winning on one occasion — a partnership that has not yet gelled into a high win rate. When Military Leader steps into Class 6 company, his toughest level, he has yet to break through, with no wins from 7 races at that grade, suggesting the ceiling of his ability may lie below that standard. At his natural level, however, he remains a horse worth backing at Thirsk.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle Galloping |
5 | 2 seconds, 2 thirds, 1 other | 2 Jun | 0% |
| Thirsk Galloping |
4 | 2 wins, 1 second, 1 other | 14 Aug | 50% |
| Southwell Galloping |
3 | 1 win, 2 other | 7 May | 33.3% |
| Ayr Galloping |
2 | 2 seconds | 8 Aug | 0% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 5 Sep | 0% |
| Chester Tight |
1 | 1 second | 12 Jun | 0% |
| York Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 9 Oct | 0% |
| Redcar Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 17 Oct | 0% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 7 Oct | 0% |
| Hamilton Park Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 20 Sep | 0% |