Salamanca City

The horse's best surface is normal ground, where it has won three of seven races—a win rate of 43 percent that stands out sharply against its overall 21 percent. That's the kind of detail that matters to people who follow the horse regularly. On slightly soft ground, it has won two of six races, so it isn't averse to a bit of give in the track either. What clearly doesn't suit it is racing at the higher Class 5 level, where it has managed just one win from nine races; Salamanca City operates best in the slightly less competitive races below that.

Daniel Muscutt has been the usual jockey, and the pair have found the winning post together twice in seven races—a striking 29 percent win rate that suggests real partnership. Salamanca City's last win came eight weeks ago at Ripon on 18 July, and with a race just yesterday, the horse remains actively campaigned by trainer James Fanshawe at Newmarket. Fanshawe's yard has sent out 44 winners this season, so the horse is part of an operation that knows how to get results. Nothing about Salamanca City screams flashy talent, but the recent form—three wins in six races—shows a horse that has found its level and is working efficiently within it.