Five Ways

The recent form tells a story of inconsistency. In its last six outings, Five Ways has finished 11th, 6th, 4th, 13th, 5th, and 7th—the kind of patchy record that suggests the horse is capable of solid performances on its day but lacks the consistency to deliver regularly. That fourth-place finish shows the talent remains buried in there somewhere, and the 5th and 6th are not disasters, but the two double-figure finishes hint at occasional races where things simply do not click.

Jockey Jason Watson has been Five Ways' most frequent partner and has ridden it to a 33 per cent win rate—both victories coming in their six races together—which is notably better than the horse's overall record. This suggests Watson and Five Ways have found a rhythm when they pair up, though the horse has failed to win in its recent encounters regardless of who is in the saddle. Five Ways is trained by Andrew Balding at Kingsclere, a yard that has produced 202 winners this season and clearly has the resources and expertise to get the best from its runners. At just three years old, Five Ways still has time to recapture the form that earned it a top-level victory, but the twelve-month drought since that Kempton success means it needs to prove it can get back on track sooner rather than later.