Storm Point

The horse broke through at Kempton Park in April under jockey Kieran Shoemark, a genuinely accomplished rider, and that debut victory suggested something could be there. Ed Walker, who trains Storm Point at Upper Lambourn, describes him as a big, raw animal with more racing ahead of him — the kind of horse whose frame may still be filling out and whose racing brain is still developing. It is the sort of comment you hear about three-year-olds with untapped potential, though of course it is also what trainers say about most young horses that have not yet figured it all out.

The telling detail is his preference for races between seven furlongs and a mile. Over that distance, Storm Point has won 1 of his 3 races — a 33% win rate, which is nearly double his overall average. That is not a massive sample size, but it is a genuine signpost. His other win came at Newbury over what was likely a mile, and it suggests that when the race is pitched at the right trip, he is capable of competing. His recent form shows he picked up a win one race ago after a run of plain results, which at least hints at some consistency in his better moments.

Walker's yard is in fine order this season, having sent out 76 winners, so Storm Point is in a stable that knows how to get horses running. At three years old and only nine races deep, he is still entirely plausible as a horse that could develop into something more interesting, especially if the yard can keep putting him over his preferred distance. Right now, though, he remains a work in progress — capable of winning but not yet reliable enough to be called a sure thing.