Purosangue

Inherited by trainer Robert Cowell from Andrew Balding last year, Purosangue carried the pedigree of a consistent competitor who had finished fourth in the prestigious Ayr Gold Cup. His one outing for Cowell's Newmarket yard came in April, when he missed the break badly but still clawed his way back to fourth place, a sign of the genuine toughness that jockey P. J. McDonald observed after that York victory: solid, willing, and mentally strong. Most of Purosangue's racing has come at the sport's highest domestic level, where he has won just 1 of 11 races, a sobering 9% record at that standard. Oisin Murphy, his regular partner, has had no luck with him across 10 rides, leaving wins to other hands—including McDonald's triumphant York partnership. At five and currently active, Purosangue remains a horse capable of running well on any ground, but the gap since his last victory grows longer with each race. He is close to scoring again; whether that drought will break is a question the next few months will answer.