Mister Sox

The clearest pattern in his record is his affinity for normal, standard ground conditions. On that type of track, he has won 5 of his 17 races, which translates to a 29% win rate — almost three times better than his career average. Strip away the heavy or firm ground, and Mister Sox is a genuinely competitive horse. He also prefers shorter distances between five and six and a half furlongs, where he has won 6 of 30 races, and he is a genuine specialist at Catterick Bridge. Three wins from just seven races there suggest he knows this track intimately; it is the kind of record that gets a jockey's attention when the draw comes out.

His last win came last week at Pontefract on 5 October, and his recent form — a win, then three top-3 finishes in his last four races — hints that he remains competitive even in his mid-years. Trainer Tim Easterby, whose yard at Great Habton in North Yorkshire has sent out 128 winners this season alone, knows how to keep a horse like this ticking over in the right races at the right tracks. David Allan has ridden him 14 times without much fireworks between them, but that reflects the reality that not every horse and jockey combination clicks. What matters is that Mister Sox continues to find winning opportunities, and his record on normal ground at his favourite courses suggests he will keep doing exactly that.