Shaman Champion

The numbers tell a mixed story. From seven races, Shaman Champion has won once and placed three times — that is a win in roughly 1 in every 7 outings, or about 14%. He has not won in his last six races, and his recent form figures — 7, 2, 8, 2, 5, 9 — are a little ragged, with a couple of encouraging runner-up finishes sandwiched between some disappointing efforts. At Class 2 level, the top end of the sport, he has tried three times without winning. So the question hanging over him is whether that Leicester win was a moment of genuine promise, or simply a horse finding the right opportunity at the right time.

What makes him genuinely interesting right now is that Cox clearly believes the former. A trainer with Cox's experience does not casually aim a horse at a Royal Ascot race — it is one of the most watched and fiercely contested meetings of the British racing calendar. The fact that he raced just one day ago and is still being pointed at a big occasion suggests the yard is confident in how he is thriving. Whether Shaman Champion can translate one clean win at Leicester into something special on the grandest stage is the story worth watching.