Talakan

Lawes picked Talakan up from France, where he had already won under the celebrated trainer Francis Graffard before crossing the Channel. That French win matters — it means Talakan is not a horse still searching for his level; he has already shown he can do it. By Golden Horn, the brilliant Derby winner, out of a mare by High Chaparral, Talakan has the breeding of a horse that should stay well and improve as the distances get longer. Lawes has noted that he handles cut in the ground — in other words, he is at his best when conditions get a little wet and soft underfoot, which gives the team useful options through the winter and spring months.

Physically, Lawes describes him as just over 16 hands — not especially tall — but says he seems to grow a couple of inches once he gets moving. That kind of athletic presence, combined with what Lawes calls a flashy, lovely type, suggests a horse that catches the eye on a racecourse. He has apparently taken well to jumping hurdles, which is the direction the yard is pointing him heading into spring. Lawes's operation has sent out eight winners this season, so this is a yard in form, and Talakan — having raced as recently as yesterday — is very much a live, active project. The wins will come. The form says so.