Wild Waves

The horse is returning from a seven-month break, which is significant. Form figures of 9-4-3-8-12-6 from its last six races before that absence show a horse that was struggling to get competitive — a couple of placings mixed with some well-beaten efforts. At Class 2 level, where Wild Waves typically competes, it has won just 1 of 8 races, a 12% win rate that sits below what you would expect from a horse winning at that grade. The partnership with jockey Oisin Murphy, one of Britain's finest riders, has yielded nothing: 0 wins from 5 races together, which might suggest the horse simply does not suit his style, or that Murphy has been getting the honest truth out of it — a horse that is decent but not special.

Andrew Balding's Kingsclere yard continues to fire on all cylinders with 204 winners this season, so Wild Waves is in good hands. The question now is whether this break has refreshed a horse capable of recapturing that form from 2024, or whether we are looking at a mid-tier performer that flattered to deceive with two wins in quick succession. The gap since that Doncaster victory is long enough to raise questions, but returning horses can surprise. Wild Waves will need to prove it still has something to offer.