Snipe

Dan Skelton's stable at Alcester has had a prolific season, sending out 198 winners, and Snipe sits somewhere in that solid middle band. Harry Skelton, the trainer's brother, has partnered him three times and won twice—a 20 per cent success rate, notably better than his overall figures. The trainer has been talking about staying distances as Snipe's true home, suggesting he could be built toward longer races in spring, and recent runs show promise: he was fourth in a valuable race at Ascot in November and ran well at Kelso. His Class 3 record is modest—just one win from eight attempts—which tells you he's more comfortable in slightly easier company, but that fourth-place finish at Ascot suggests he has more in the tank when circumstances align.

In his last six races, Snipe has finished second twice and fourth twice, with a win and a sixth. That reads like a horse still searching for the right moment, the right ground, the right race. Just yesterday he was back in action, and with wet winters on the horizon, his taste for soft and heavy conditions might yet give him more chances to add to that tally of five.