The horse really shows his teeth on normal ground, where he's won 5 of his last 22 races (better than 1 in 5), compared to his overall win rate. Over his preferred distance of seven furlongs to a mile, he's won twice from nine runs, which suggests there's a sweet spot where he performs noticeably above his average. His recent form is encouraging: two wins in his last six races, most recently at Redcar five weeks ago. Connor Beasley has ridden him 22 times and booked three wins together, a 14% return that mirrors the horse's overall win rate—decent partnership, nothing more.
The training team has had to think tactically. After his May win at Ayr, the handicapper pushed Pol Roger up 4 pounds to 74, then again by 7 pounds to 81 after a run of four consecutive second-place finishes. That's the penalty for consistency—success gets noticed by the racing authorities, and weights climb. Dods has suggested a change of scenery might help, possibly stretching the horse out further than the mile-and-a-quarter he'd been running, to shake off the weight trap. With 43 winners already sent out by the yard this season, the team knows how to make adjustments work.
| Course | Races | Results | Last run | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayr Galloping |
19 | 3 wins, 7 seconds, 2 thirds, 7 other | 8 Aug | 15.8% |
| Haydock Park Galloping |
7 | 1 win, 1 second, 1 third, 4 other | 3 Sep | 14.3% |
| York Galloping |
5 | 1 second, 4 other | 10 Oct | 0% |
| Pontefract Undulating |
4 | 1 second, 3 other | 2 Jun | 0% |
| Thirsk Galloping |
3 | 1 win, 1 third, 1 other | 10 Apr | 33.3% |
| Redcar Galloping |
3 | 1 win, 1 second, 1 other | 15 Sep | 33.3% |
| Newmarket Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 18 May | 0% |
| Musselburgh Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 8 Apr | 0% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 16 Aug | 0% |
| Southwell Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 21 Nov | 0% |
| Ripon Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 29 Aug | 0% |
| Catterick Bridge Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 17 Oct | 0% |