Perfect Ruler

The recent form is instructive. Perfect Ruler won at Lingfield Park two weeks ago, which was clearly the highlight so far, but the runs either side of that tell a familiar story for a young horse still learning the game: a fifth place, then a fourth, sandwiched around that winning effort. Last time out, just yesterday, it finished fifth again. This is the pattern of a horse that has ability—trainers don't send out winners without spotting something—but hasn't yet worked out how to deliver it reliably.

Marco Botti's yard at Newmarket has been in excellent form this season, with 45 winners already under their belt, so Perfect Ruler is in a stable that knows how to develop talent. That August win at Lingfield suggests the horse has the ability to get the job done when conditions align. The question now is whether that was a one-off breakthrough or the start of something more consistent. At three years old, there is still time to find out.