The Mighty Celt

The Mighty Celt is a 4-year-old who built his reputation in France, where he raced to a level that earned him what Skelton describes as "quite a big rating" — meaning the sport's official handicappers consider him a considerably better horse than his current results suggest. That gap between rating and recent form is actually the most interesting thing about him. It implies a horse who hasn't yet found his feet in British racing rather than one who simply isn't good enough.

Skelton's yard is one of the most productive in the country right now — 194 winners already this season, which is the kind of output that takes serious organisation and an eye for placing horses in the right races at the right time. When a trainer running that kind of operation singles out a horse and says he'll "be a player" once things click, it's worth paying attention. The specific condition Skelton is waiting for is a fast-run race — in other words, a race that sets a strong, honest pace from the start. That kind of race suits a horse who travels well and stays on at the end, rather than one who relies on a sprint finish in a slowly run contest. His third-place finish on his first run for the yard last Saturday at least suggests he's finding his rhythm.

He hasn't won yet in Britain, but the picture Skelton is painting is of a horse in transition — one whose best form is ahead of him once the right conditions come together. Whether that proves true is the question, but it makes The Mighty Celt