Poetry Of Time

The win at Salisbury is worth paying attention to for another reason: it came at Class 4 level, a tier where Poetry Of Time had previously raced four times without winning. Breaking through at the fifth attempt at that level, rather than falling away, suggests a horse that has been learning and developing with each run. The overall win rate sits at 20% — that is 1 win from 5 races, or roughly 1 in every 5 outings — which is a perfectly respectable return for a young horse still finding its feet.

Behind this horse stands one of British racing's most powerful operations. William Haggas, training out of Newmarket in Suffolk, has sent out 170 winners already this season alone. That is not a yard that makes up the numbers — horses that leave Haggas's stable tend to be well-prepared and placed carefully. The fact that Poetry Of Time has been consistently placed throughout its career, rather than appearing once and disappearing, suggests the team see something in this horse worth nurturing. At three years old, with a first win now on the board, the next few months will tell us a great deal about just how far Poetry Of Time can go.