Paladin

What's most striking about Paladin is how much better he runs with Oliver Stammers in the saddle. Over five races together, they've clicked at a 40 percent clip—winning 2 of those races—which is a genuinely strong win rate and suggests real partnership between horse and rider. That kind of consistency is rare enough to matter. He also prefers normal ground conditions, winning a third of his races when the track is in standard condition, which is the sort of tactical detail his trainer, Kevin & Lauren Frost of Averham Park in Nottinghamshire, will certainly know and use. His recent form has been patchy (he finished 13th just a week ago after a second place the race before that), but he raced only yesterday, so he's very much an active runner. At this level, any horse still competing regularly and winning roughly one race in five has earned its place in the game.