Wimbledon Hawkeye

James Owen trains out of Newmarket in Suffolk, and his yard has been in extraordinary form — 205 winners already this season, which is the kind of output that marks out a yard firing on all cylinders. Owen has spoken openly about how Wimbledon Hawkeye "put us on the map in Group races," which tells you something about what this horse has meant to the stable's ambitions. It is rare for a trainer to say that about a horse. It means this one opened doors.

The horse's best distance appears to be between seven furlongs and a mile — he has won 1 of 3 races at that trip, or roughly 1 in every 3, which is a notably sharp win rate. His overall record of 2 wins from 13 races means he wins roughly 1 in every 6 or 7 outings, and he has not won in his last 6 races. But recent form figures of 2-5-2-2-4-3 suggest a horse that keeps finishing close without finding that extra gear on the day. After one near-miss at Goodwood, Owen noted a faster rival simply caught them — "a progressive horse has come and mugged us" — the words of someone who believed his horse had done little wrong.

What makes Wimbledon Hawkeye genuinely interesting right now is where the team are pointing him next. Owen has made no secret of targeting the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar in California, one of the most glamorous races in the world, reasoning that the tight track and fast, dry ground there will suit a horse who likes to corner well. He raced just one day ago and remains in active training, so whatever comes next is imminent. A horse that has already won at the top level in Britain, with a trainer who has sent out 205 winners this season — this is a profile worth following.