Montassib

The horse is trained by William Haggas at Newmarket, one of the country's most respected yards — Haggas has sent out 170 winners this season alone — and is ridden most often by Cieren Fallon, with whom he has won five of fourteen races together, a 36 per cent win rate that suggests genuine partnership and understanding. That kind of consistency between jockey and horse does not happen by accident.

Where Montassib truly dominates is on wet ground. In four races on soft or muddy conditions, he has won three of them — a 75 per cent success rate. This is not a quirk or a coincidence; this is a horse that genuinely thrives when the ground is heavy and testing, when many of his rivals are struggling to find their footing. It is the kind of edge that keeps a horse winning at the highest level.

The concern is recent form. Montassib has not won in his last six races, though he has placed in four of them, showing he remains competitive. His last victory came at Haydock just over two years ago, which is a long drought for a horse still racing regularly. At eight years old, with a proven track record in the best races, he remains a force when conditions suit him — but he will need to recapture that form on soft ground to return to the winner's circle.