Golden Strike

The last three months have been quieter. Golden Strike won at York on 23 May, but in its six most recent races it has managed only one win, a second place, and a string of mid-field finishes. The form dipped markedly: third, fifth, seventh, then a brief revival with that win, before twelfth and third again. It raced just yesterday, which suggests the trainer and jockey are still testing where improvement might come. Jack Garritty, who rides it most often, has recorded one win from six races together — a 17 per cent win rate that lags slightly behind the horse's overall record, suggesting the partnership has not yet found its full rhythm.

Richard and Peter Fahey's yard at Musley Bank in North Yorkshire has been in good form this season with 23 winners, and Golden Strike represents the kind of consistent, honest performer that keeps a training operation ticking over. It is unlikely to trouble the top races in Britain, but on the right day, on normal ground, over five to six and a half furlongs, and pitched into Class 5 company, it remains a horse capable of winning.