Newfangled

What makes him interesting is where he does shine. Newfangled absolutely dominates Wolverhampton, winning 3 of his 5 races there. It is a real course advantage, not beginner's luck—he keeps coming back and delivering. He also has a clear preference for normal ground, winning half his races on standard conditions (5 wins from 10), which matters more than it might seem: many horses struggle on the extremes of wet or rock-hard going, but Newfangled thrives when the track is neither. He also performs best at distances between a mile and three furlongs and a mile and four furlongs, where he has won one of three races.

Jonathan Portman's yard at Upper Lambourn has been firing this season, sending out 46 winners. The trainer sees something worth working with: he has noted that Newfangled comes from a family that has produced winners like Sweet Reward and Two Tempting, and he reckons there is more winning left in him over distances around a mile to a mile and two furlongs. The recent poor form is a concern, Portman admits, but he attributes it to rising weights and suggests a return to the track later in August. Rob Hornby, his regular jockey, has ridden him 16 times and won twice—a modest 12 per cent win rate together, suggesting the pairing may not be an ideal match. Newfangled's path forward is clear: get him back to Wolverhampton on normal ground, keep the distance short, and find out whether the last five months was a blip or the start of decline.