Haatem

The horse's recent trajectory shows a horse hitting his stride. Over his last six races he finished 5-16-7-6-3-1, climbing back into form after a couple of unplaced runs, which suggests the trainer has found the right formula. His best distance is between seven furlongs and a mile, where he has won two of five races — a 40 per cent success rate that hints at a horse comfortable stepping up in trip. R Hannon's yard, based in Wiltshire, has given Haatem the platform to flourish, and the trainer speaks of him with genuine affection, describing him as sound, honest, versatile and very good. The jockey partnership with Sean Levey has also borne fruit, with two wins from eight races together.

What the trainer's own words reveal is a horse that has surprised even his the yard with his talent. After years of running over shorter distances, Haatem wasn't thought to have the pace for a mile until his jockeys — James Doyle and Jamie Spencer — suggested stepping him up in trip. That advice proved correct. He is currently aimed at the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot, where winning that race last season has given the team genuine confidence he can repeat the feat. The horse has plainly won the affection of everyone around him, and raced just a day ago, he remains very much in active competition.