Jonathan Portman, who trains out of Upper Lambourn in Berkshire and has sent out 46 winners this season alone, had hoped this horse would be sharper earlier in the year. When that did not happen, the team made a practical decision: give him time off, carry out a small surgical procedure, and bring him back with a clearer plan. Portman's thinking heading into the autumn was straightforward — a mile, a bit of cut in the ground from recent rain, and a low enough rating to give the horse a genuine chance. That kind of honest assessment from a trainer is actually a good sign. It means the yard knows what the horse needs rather than just running him and hoping.
The recent form figures of 4-1-7-8-7 tell an interesting story. Read right to left — from his earliest race to his most recent — you can see a horse that started slowly, had a rough patch in the middle, and then finished second before landing that win at Bath. The question now, after 178 days off the track, is whether that September version of Takeitorleaveit shows up again. A long break can go either way: horses come back freshened and ready to go, or they need a race or two to remember what it is all about. Given the surgical procedure during the break, there is every reason to think the team expects a positive response.
He is not a horse aimed at the biggest prizes — a career rating of 53 puts him firmly in the competitive middle ground of the sport. But that is not the point. The point is that Portman has a clear picture of where this horse can win, and Bath already has his name on the board once. Sometimes that is all the reason you need to pay attention.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath Undulating |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 30 Oct | 50% |
| Kempton Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 25 Jun | 0% |
| Leicester Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 3 Jun | 0% |
| Chepstow Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 11 Jul | 0% |