Twilight Calls

But look at the last six races and a different story emerges. Twilight Calls has won 2 of those 6 — a run of form that most horses at this level would envy. Its most recent win came at Newmarket just this week, and that is no coincidence. Of its 7 races at Newmarket, it has won 2, which works out at roughly 1 in every 3.5 — a remarkable ratio for a horse that wins only 1 in 10 elsewhere. Some horses simply love a track: the shape of the bends, the way the ground rides, the familiar surroundings. Whatever it is, Newmarket seems to unlock something in Twilight Calls that other courses cannot.

On the subject of ground, it is at its best on normal conditions — not wet and heavy, not baked and fast, just straightforward racing ground. On that surface, it has won 2 from 12 races, or roughly 1 in 6, which is its strongest conversion rate anywhere. Richard Spencer's yard has been in fine fettle this season, sending out 30 winners, so there is clearly confidence and momentum behind the operation.

One intriguing footnote is its record alongside jockey Ryan Moore, one of the most decorated riders in British racing. Together, they have run 6 times without a win — yet Twilight Calls keeps winning in other hands. That is not a criticism of Moore, who regularly pilots horses at the very highest level, but it does suggest the partnership has not yet clicked in the way the yard might hope. With the horse racing as well as it has in years and a track it clearly adores right on its doorstep, there may be more chapters still to write.