Sir Edward Lear

The frustration is sharper because Sir Edward Lear clearly has something about him at the right level. Drop him into Class 5 company—the lower tiers where races are decided by smaller margins—and he wins 2 from every 5 attempts (40%). That is a genuinely useful win rate. He also shows a clear distance preference: at races between one mile and one furlong and one mile and two furlongs, he has won 1 of 3 outings (33%), suggesting there is a sweet spot that suits his running style. Trained by James Owen at Newmarket, whose yard has already sent out 205 winners this season, the horse has the infrastructure and expertise around him to turn things around.

What matters now is whether that second win at Newmarket—nearly 15 months in the past—was the peak or simply a false dawn. The form suggests stagnation rather than decline, which leaves room for optimism. A return to his favoured distance in a Class 5 race might unlock the horse that won two races. For now, though, Sir Edward Lear remains a horse caught between promise and performance.