Risky Obsession

Skelton has form for knowing what he has in his string before the rest of us catch on. His yard has sent out 194 winners already this season alone — that is not a trainer guessing; that is an operation running at serious volume and with serious intent. When Skelton looked at Risky Obsession ahead of this season, he was already enthusiastic, noting that the horse had won a point-to-point race in Ireland, travelled beautifully through it, and possibly just found the three-mile trip a stretch too far. The key phrase there is "travelled really well" — in racing, that usually means a horse has class and is doing things within himself. Staying on stamina was the question; the talent was already visible.

That faith paid off on New Year's Eve at Warwick, when Risky Obsession got off the mark and gave Skelton exactly what he had predicted. Warwick is a track Skelton knows well — it sits practically on his doorstep — and it is the kind of sharp, turning course that tends to suit horses with a bit of natural speed and a good brain. His two most recent runs have been sixth-place finishes, so he has not exactly been building a head of steam, but the win at Warwick just three months ago is the anchor of the profile. He has shown he can do it.

With only three races under his belt and a trainer who clearly believes in him, Risky Obsession feels like a horse still assembling his story rather than one whose best is behind him. Watch for him to build on that Warwick win as the season develops.