Stardancer

His win rate across nine races sits at just 11 percent — one victory from nine outings — but that masks something more interesting about where Stardancer performs best. Over distances between one mile and one furlong and one mile and two furlongs, he has won once from four attempts, a 25 percent win rate. At this distance he is a different proposition. When races are run at his preferred trip on faster, firmer ground, he is competitive. It is only when he steps up to Class 4 company — the top tier of racing — that he has struggled, recording no wins from three attempts. He belongs in the slightly lower-level races where he has proven he can win.

Trained by Clive Cox at Lambourn, Stardancer is part of a yard that has sent out 48 winners this season. Cox knows how to place his horses, and for Stardancer the message is clear: keep him at his best distance, keep him in Class 3 and below, and the winner's circle will come around again. He may not be a star in the making, but he is a genuine racehorse with a clear winning formula.