Boiling Point

The horse shows clear preferences, and Burke's yard clearly understands them. Boiling Point has won 3 of his 8 races on normal ground conditions — a 38% win rate — which means he is genuinely dangerous when the track is riding fair and true. At distances between seven furlongs and a mile, he is even sharper: 2 wins from 6 races. Newmarket itself brings out the best in him; he has won twice in just 5 appearances there. His most recent win came at Goodwood three months ago, and jockey Shane Gray's description of him as "honest" and "tough" suggests a horse who gives everything when asked.

Recent form shows a horse still in work and still competitive. Over his last six races he has finished 6th, 2nd, 4th, 3rd, 1st and 3rd — the sort of consistent placing record that keeps a trainer interested. Burke has already mapped out plans to step him up in distance, having tried a mile and a quarter in the Winter Derby without the result he wanted. The Earl of Sefton at Newmarket was mentioned as a possibility, a race that would suit both Boiling Point's proven track record and the trainer's evident confidence in his staying power. At five years old, with a career built on steady improvement rather than early brilliance, Boiling Point may yet have his best days ahead.