Per Contra

Tim Easterby, his trainer at Great Habton in North Yorkshire, clearly sees something in him. The yard is one of the most productive operations in the country and has sent 128 winners out this season alone, so when Easterby talks about a horse having room to improve, it is worth taking seriously. Per Contra was never bought as a flashy prospect, but Easterby notes he is a big, developing horse who seems to be hitting his stride now after spring. The trainer recently decided against running him in a Listed race at Haydock — an unusually competitive spot — and is instead plotting bigger plans, looking at genuinely high-class races like the Champagne and Royal Lodge as stepping stones while also raising his distance to a mile. That kind of long-term thinking speaks to patience and genuine belief.

What makes Per Contra interesting right now is not his record so far — it is the direction of travel. Recent form reads 8-3-1-3-8-4 over his last six races, with that win at Redcar coming partway through. He still has much to learn and may well prove better suited to certain conditions or distances than others. David Allan has ridden him ten times without a win, which suggests the combination has not quite clicked. But a five-year-old who is finally winning races, trained by one of Britain's shrewdest operators and being aimed deliberately at top company, is worth keeping an eye on. The raw materials are there; now it is about whether Easterby can polish them into something special.