Modern Style

Those two wins tell a clear story about where Modern Style excels. Over longer distances — anything above two miles — this horse has won 2 of its 4 races, a remarkable 50% success rate. That is not a coincidence; it suggests a horse that genuinely relishes being asked to keep going, one that finds its best form when the race really tests stamina. Many horses can quicken over a shorter trip, but staying strong late in a long race is a different skill entirely, and Modern Style appears to have it.

The trainer behind this run of form is Nigel Hawke, who operates out of Stoodleigh in Devon — not one of the giant operations you might associate with the sport's biggest prizes, but a yard that clearly knows how to place its horses well. Nine winners already this season suggests a stable in good shape, and the choice to run Modern Style at Exeter and Taunton — both tracks within easy reach of the Devon base — shows shrewd, intelligent placement. Keeping a horse on familiar ground, close to home, often matters more than people realise.

The overall career record of 2 wins from 7 races — roughly 1 in every 3-and-a-half starts — looks even better when you factor in that 4 of those 7 races ended in a place finish. This is not a horse that has been running down the field and getting lucky; it has been consistently competitive, and those two recent wins represent the sharpest form of its career so far. Having raced just one day ago and still being active, Modern Style is very much a horse in the middle of its story rather than at the end of one.