Darkness

O'Meara describes him as "a law unto himself"—a horse with his own ideas about how racing should go. Darkness thrives on dry, fast ground, winning 4 of his 17 races (24%) when conditions suit him, compared to roughly 1 in every 10 overall. That's a huge swing, and it means timing and ground conditions matter more with this horse than with most. He prefers to be ridden aggressively, pushed forward from the start, but when jockeys try to come from behind he loses patience. When jockey Hollie Doyle rode him at Epsom, she noted that "he's got plenty of ability, it's just getting it out of him"—a neat summary of the puzzle Darkness presents.

At Class 2 level (the top tier of British racing), Darkness has managed just 1 win from 23 races, which explains why he remains something of a character rather than a star. Regular jockey Jason Watson has won once in 13 rides aboard him, a relatively modest record. Darkness was last seen competing six days ago—he finished sixth—and he remains in active training at O'Meara's Upper Helmsley yard in Yorkshire. The trainer's stable has had a strong season, sending out 101 winners, but Darkness continues to frustrate. He has the talent to win more races, particularly when the ground is firm and he's ridden up front, but getting the best out of him remains a constant battle.