Kind Of Blue

That Ascot victory was not a fluke of circumstance. Kind Of Blue typically competes at Class 1 level — seven of its twelve races have come at that grade — and it has won 1 of those 7, which translates to roughly a 14% win rate at the highest level. That might not sound spectacular, but most horses competing at the very top end of the sport win far less often than that. The bulk of its placings have come in these same elite fields, meaning it regularly finishes in the top three against the best competition available.

The horse is trained by James Fanshawe at Newmarket, one of British racing's most famous training centres, and Fanshawe's yard has been in sharp form this season with 47 winners already sent out. Daniel Muscutt has ridden Kind Of Blue in 9 of its 12 races, winning 2 of them — roughly 1 in every 4 or 5 rides together — and that kind of ongoing partnership usually means the jockey knows exactly how the horse thinks and how to get the best from it.

At five years old and with a Class 1 win on its record, Kind Of Blue sits in an interesting place. It raced as recently as yesterday, which means it is very much in active training and being aimed at current targets. The recent form reads 2-11-2-3-8-1, which shows a horse capable of brilliance but not entirely predictable — that run of 11 and 8 sandwiched between placed efforts is the one puzzling note in an otherwise tidy profile. What is clear is that when the big days come around, this horse has already shown it belongs.