Benavente

The real story here is Dundalk. This is a horse that has made that track its own private fiefdom, winning 5 of its 35 races there — that's 14% of its total career wins coming from a single course. For a horse that wins only 1 in 11 races overall, to win 1 in every 7 races at one specific track suggests something genuine: perhaps the surface suits it, perhaps the layout plays to its strengths, or perhaps Benavente simply runs with more confidence when the familiar ground comes under its hooves. The last win came there on 27 March — five months ago now — so the horse still has it in the tank.

Longer distances suit this one. At distances between 1 mile 6 furlongs and 2 miles, Benavente has won 2 of 7 races (29%), a far stronger win rate than its overall figures. When asked to go that far, it runs like a different horse. The partnership with jockey J M Sheridan tells a similar story: together they've won 2 of 7 races (29%), well above the horse's general win rate, which suggests they understand each other.

Trainer Gary Brown, based at Fox Hill in Wiltshire, has quietly kept this horse running week in and week out. Benavente raced just a day ago and is still active, a testament to its durability. Class 3 races — the upper tier — have proved a step too far (0 wins from 3), so the horse seems to have found its groove in slightly lower company. For a horse at eight years old, that's not a criticism. Benavente is a working professional, not a star, and it still knows how to find the winner's circle at the tracks and distances that suit it best.