Silky Robin

What makes Silky Robin genuinely interesting is the sharp divide in its form depending on ground conditions. On fast, dry ground it wins roughly 2 in every 5 races — four wins from ten attempts, a 40 per cent win rate that is substantially above the horse's overall win rate of 18 per cent (6 wins from 33 races). Wet or muddy ground is a different story entirely. The horse simply does not fire in the mud, which means its trainer's task is not to cure a weakness but to wait for the right conditions and the right track. That is strategy, not desperation.

Over six races the horse has picked up two wins recently, though the form line reads a touch inconsistently: third, first, first, fifth, fifth, sixth. Those fifth and sixth place finishes suggest Silky Robin is operating at the limits of its ability in some of these races, but the two wins in that sequence show it is not finished yet. At five years old it remains active and competing, mostly in Class 6 company where it has won 4 of 18 races. The wins are sparse enough to keep things interesting but frequent enough to suggest Toomey's team knows what they are doing. When conditions favour this horse and the track suits it, there is a profit to be found.