Ottawa

What's more telling is what he does at his preferred course. In Class 6 races—the lowest grade of proper competition—Ottawa has won 1 of his 7 attempts, a win rate of 14%. That's decent form for that level, though it highlights the gap between his capabilities at Southwell and his performance elsewhere. Trained by Liam Bailey at Middleham, a yard that has sent out 17 winners this season, Ottawa remains active. He raced just yesterday, finishing eighth, which means the yard are still looking for opportunities to get him in the winners' circle again. That last victory was eight months ago, so there is a real hunt on to spark him back into form. His recent form reads as a series of near-misses and disappointments—fifth, sixth, eighth, fifth, then tenth—before that most recent outing. For a horse at his level, those placings suggest he belongs in the mix, but the wins simply aren't coming. If Ottawa finds his way back to Southwell under the right conditions, his record there might give him a genuine chance. Elsewhere, he remains a horse you watch because he might run a decent race, not because you expect to see him in the winners' enclosure.