Tony Montana

The real picture of Tony Montana is that he has found his level and his track. On normal ground, he lights up: 3 wins from 11 races means he wins roughly one in every four starts on those conditions, a dramatic improvement on his overall return. At distances between a mile and three furlongs and a mile and four furlongs, he has also thrived, winning 3 of his 16 races there. His jockey David Egan has ridden him 12 times for just the one win, but trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy clearly sees potential — the yard is sending out winners regularly this season and recent moves show the trainer is hunting for the right spot. After two placed efforts this year, Tony Montana was stepped up to contest Class 2 races for the first time, a level where he has yet to break his duck. The plan appears to be tactical: if the top handicaps at Ascot prove beyond him, he will be aimed at races like Goodwood where conditions and competition might suit him better.

His recent form has been nothing to boast about. In his last six races he has finished ninth, fourth, eighth, sixth, tenth, and second — that last-place finish coming just yesterday suggesting he is still actively campaigned. The lurch from ninth to second in successive runs hints at a horse searching for consistency. At six years old and on a career-high mark of 99, Tony Montana remains a useful handicapper without quite being a specialist. What he needs is the right race at the right moment: the right ground, the right distance, the right level of competition. Until then, he will keep being second or third or nowhere, a trier rather than a finisher.