Alex The Great

The horse's most recent form, however, tells a harder story. His last six runs have been a sequence of fourth, fourth, seventh, fifth, sixth, and seventh — no wins in that stretch, and nothing close enough to suggest a return to the winner's circle is imminent. He last won on 7 March at Newcastle, a victory that now sits 17 months in the past. That is a long drought for any horse, and it raises the question of whether his best days may be behind him.

Where Alex The Great does show genuine strength is in his partnership with jockey Jack Doughty. Together they have won three of their 11 races — a 27 per cent win rate that stands out sharply against the horse's overall career average. That is a meaningful gap, and it hints that Doughty understands how to get the best from him. Trainer Tony Carroll's Cropthorne yard sent out 136 winners this season, so the horse is in a stable that knows how to train winners, even if this particular runner has not found the form to feature among them recently. With a race just yesterday, Alex The Great remains active and given a chance to find his way back.