Tiger Orchid

What marks Tiger Orchid out is her class consistency. When he races in Class 4 events — the sort of mid-range races that form the backbone of the sport — he wins roughly 1 in every 5 times, with 4 wins from 20 attempts. That is a substantially higher win rate than his overall record, suggesting he finds his level best at this standard. It is a reminder that even modest horses have their sweet spot, a stage of competition where they are competitive enough to occasionally get their heads in front.

Her partnership with jockey Charlie Hammond tells a similar story. Hammond has ridden Tiger Orchid 25 times and won on her 5 times — a 20% win rate, well above her overall average. That kind of consistency between horse and rider matters, especially for a horse approaching his teenage years. She is trained by Stuart Edmunds at Stewkley in Buckinghamshire, a yard that has already sent out 24 winners this season. Tiger Orchid may not be a star, but she is a reliable piece of the puzzle, the sort of horse that keeps a yard ticking over, provides occasional winners at the right level, and gives her the yard a genuine reason to keep running her. At eleven, many horses would be retired; Tiger Orchid is still competitive.