Percy's Lad

What makes Percy's Lad genuinely interesting is where he wins. He has a particular affection for Chester, where he holds a course record and has claimed two Class 2 victories — including that Kempton success last week, which came after being beaten by what looks a seriously smart horse at Newmarket. More tellingly, he wins on fast, dry ground: two victories from six attempts on such surfaces represents a real strength. His jockey Richard Kingscote, who rides him regularly, has won three of nine races aboard him — a 33 per cent win rate that suggests genuine partnership. Kingscote himself has noted that Percy's Lad seems to have matured, becoming more tractable and easier to ride, which at eight years old is exactly what a horse that wants to keep racing needs.

Daniel and Claire Kubler train him from Lambourn, and their yard is clearly thriving this season with thirty-four winners already on the board. They have him targeted at Chester's May meeting next week and are eyeing the Buckingham Palace race there — a sign they believe he can continue this recent purple patch. For a horse that typically races at Class 2 level and has won just five times, Percy's Lad remains a work in progress. But last week proved he still has something to offer: when the ground suits and the track favours him, he can still find the winner's enclosure.