Duke Of Luckley

The most striking thing about Duke Of Luckley is what happens when you point him at Southwell. He has won 5 of his 7 races there — that's winning more than two-thirds of the time at a single venue, which is extraordinary. Most horses are happy to win once at a track; doing it five times in seven visits suggests something about the place just suits him perfectly, whether that's the surface, the shape of the track, or simply the distances on offer. His most recent win came at Southwell just this week, confirming he hasn't lost that connection with the place even at nine years old.

Distance is another part of the puzzle. Over one mile six furlongs to two miles, he has won 5 of just 9 races — a 56% win rate, which is a remarkable number at any level of racing. That's more than half his races at that trip ending in victory. It tells you he's a stayer at heart, a horse who finds his best form when there's genuine stamina required and the race has time to develop and play out in his favour.

James Best has been in the saddle for 15 of his 30 races and they've clicked well together, winning 4 times — roughly 1 in every 4 rides, a better rate than most jockey-horse partnerships manage. Meanwhile, Keighley's yard has been in fine form this season with 19 winners already sent out, so Duke Of Luckley's win this week fits neatly into a confident operation firing on all cylinders. Having raced just yesterday, he remains very much an active force — and if the yard keep finding him a race at Southwell over a staying trip, the smart money is on him adding to that remarkable tally.