Per Contra

What stands out is Per Contra's preference for normal ground conditions. On ground that is neither waterlogged nor bone hard, the horse has won 2 of 4 races—a win rate of 50 percent that puts it in a completely different league. This is the sort of detail that can unlock a horse's form, and it may be worth watching for when conditions suit. Less encouraging is its record at Class 3 level, where it has won just 1 from 11 races. Jockey David Allan, who rides Per Contra most often, has not yet found the winner's enclosure with the horse, going 0 from 10. Tim Easterby's yard at Great Habton is sending winners out regularly this season—128 already—so Per Contra has the infrastructure of a form stable behind it, but the horse has not yet repaid that investment consistently. At five years old, it is not young anymore, and time is gradually running short to prove itself a genuine racehorse rather than a useful also-ran.