Country Park

The yard's view is that bad luck, not lack of ability, has held him back. Last season he came close several times in hurdle races, most painfully at Ascot in December when he fell at the second-last while going well — the kind of moment that haunts horses and their the yard for months. This year he is still eligible as a novice and the plan is to let him build on that breakthrough win at Bangor. His recent form shows he is consistently finishing in the frame: three fourth-place finishes in his last six runs, bookended by a third and a win. That suggests he belongs in the mix, even if the tape has not been kind.

Jonjo O'Neill Jr, who rides him most often, has not yet found the button either — they have combined for zero wins from twelve races. But O'Neill's yard has already sent out fifty-one winners this season, so the infrastructure is there. Country Park will likely need to progress from the Class 4 company he has been running in, where he has yet to win, and find races that suit him better. For a horse of his age, improvement is still possible, and that June victory suggests it may finally be arriving.