Aleppo Pepper

The recent form tells an interesting story. A poor run of 13th on its most recent outing before last was followed by a second place, then a third, and most recently a fifth — so the direction of travel is a little hard to read. The horse has shown it can mix it with the placed horses, but consistency has been elusive, and that last run will need some explaining before confidence builds.

Trained by John Ryan at Newmarket, one of the great homes of British racing, Aleppo Pepper is in capable hands. Ryan's yard has sent out 12 winners already this season, which suggests a stable in decent form and one that knows how to get a horse ready to perform. Newmarket as a base means the horse will be well drilled and properly prepared — trainers there are surrounded by serious competition, which tends to sharpen everyone up. The question now is whether Ryan can find the right race to finally get Aleppo Pepper off the mark. Having raced just yesterday, this is a horse very much in active campaign, and the first win could be closer than the bare record suggests.