Team Player

What matters more is where Team Player wins. The horse absolutely thrives on normal ground conditions, winning 2 of 5 races (a 40% win rate) when the track is standard—that is, when conditions favour no particular running style. More tellingly, Team Player has found its level over the longer distances. At 1m6f to 2m, it has won 3 of 8 races (38%), nearly twice the career average. These are sweet-spot numbers that tell you the horse knows what it is doing at this trip. At the tougher Class 4 level, the numbers dip to 1 win from 7, which is honest racing without being discouraging; it means Team Player belongs at a slightly easier grade and can find success there.

Trained by Ewan Whillans at Hawick in the Scottish Borders, Team Player races out of a yard having a strong season with 28 winners already. The trainer appears to have the horse suited—two wins in the last six races is respectable form, and Whillans clearly knows where to place it to win. The challenge now is getting Team Player back to the winner's circle more regularly. With normal ground and a race set up at the right trip, this horse has the ingredients to keep adding to its tally.