What makes the picture more interesting is who's doing the training. Charlie Johnston's yard at Middleham Moor in North Yorkshire has fired out 131 winners this season alone — a remarkable volume that marks it out as one of the most productive operations in British racing right now. When a yard is winning at that kind of rate, they tend to know which horses are worth persisting with and which aren't. The fact that Pikachu keeps getting a run is itself a signal.
At two years old, this horse is still in the very early chapters. Most two-year-olds are still figuring out what racing even means — the noise, the pace, the experience of being asked to compete. Placing in two from three races at this stage, including a second place as recently as yesterday, is a foundation rather than a verdict. Johnston's yard has the firepower and the know-how to keep improving a young horse like this, and if that placed form can be converted into a first win, it would surprise nobody in the Middleham Moor camp.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thirsk Galloping |
1 | 1 second | 31 May | 0% |
| Ascot Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 18 Jun | 0% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
1 | 1 third | 11 Jul | 0% |