War Rooms

The telling detail about War Rooms is that he struggles badly when stepped up to top-level racing. In four races against Class 1 opposition—the strongest horses in Britain—he has failed to win, which puts him firmly in the middle tier of the sport. He is a horse for mid-range courses and mid-range fields. His trainer, Gerard Keane, based in Trim, Co Meath, runs a modest but functional yard that has sent out 10 winners this season, and War Rooms fits that profile: honest, occasionally successful, but not a potential star.

His recent form makes plain reading. In his last six races he has finished tenth, eighth, sixth, and then first at Ballinrobe—that win breaking a six-race dry spell—followed by two more mid-field finishes. He is a grinder rather than a mover, and though he was active as recently as yesterday, there is little in his record to suggest he is on an upswing. War Rooms is the kind of horse that gives its the yard regular days out and occasional small thrills, but asks for nothing more than that.