Mart

There are a couple of interesting angles here. Mart performs noticeably better when the ground is normal rather than wet or firm—it has won 2 of 8 races (25%) on standard conditions, compared to its overall 13% win rate. More significantly, the horse thrives at Class 5 level, winning 6 of 25 races (24%) there, which suggests it's best suited to racing among horses of modest ability. With jockey Rhys Clutterbuck aboard, Mart has done even better, winning 3 of 14 races together (21%), so that partnership is worth noting. Trainer D Donovan's Newmarket yard has been quietly productive this season, and Mart appears to be among the more reliable earners in it, even if the big wins aren't coming lately.

At this point, Mart is a bread-and-butter horse—the kind that racks up places and occasional victories but is unlikely to spring a surprise at a big track or against tougher opposition. Its last run just a day ago suggests it's still being given chances, and that second place at least hints it hasn't completely lost its form. For a yard like Donovan's, a horse winning roughly once in every five or six attempts at Class 5 is valuable. The question now is whether the return to normal ground and another outing with Clutterbuck might produce a win to end the drought.