Rodney

The key to Rodney's recent success is wet ground. When the going gets heavy or muddy, he is transformed: he has won four of ten races on soft or wet conditions, a 40 per cent win rate that stands out sharply against his overall record. Kerry Lee's yard, based at Byton in Herefordshire, has clearly identified this preference and seems to be running him when conditions suit. He also performs noticeably better at distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, winning two of five races at that range. When stepped up to Class 4 races — the higher-grade contests he occasionally meets — his record improves further: he has won two of four starts there, a 50 per cent win rate.

There is one oddity worth noting. Paddy Hanlon, who rides Rodney most often, has never won aboard him across seven attempts, a frustrating mismatch. The jockey may simply not suit the horse, or the runs may have come on ground that did not play to Rodney's strengths. What matters now is that Rodney is active and in good form. With wet ground forecast and a yard that knows what it is doing, he remains one to follow closely whenever conditions turn in his favour.