Popa Rich

The recent form makes for interesting reading. After a couple of quiet efforts finishing eighth and tenth, Popa Rich put together back-to-back third-place finishes and then a fifth — a sequence that suggests the horse is gradually finding its feet and running into better condition. The most recent outing, just yesterday, left the result blank on the card, so there may be fresh news just around the corner.

Aaron Anderson has been the regular jockey for most of this partnership, riding Popa Rich in six of its ten races without a win between them. That said, the horse's placed finishes show the pair have had their moments, and consistency in the saddle is rarely a bad thing for a horse still learning its trade. They are clearly persevering with the combination, which suggests the team believe there is something to unlock.

Jessica Bedi trains from Kirklevington in North Yorkshire, a yard that has sent out two winners this season — a modest total, but proof the stable can get horses to the line first. Popa Rich typically lines up in Class 5 company, which is the bread-and-butter level of British racing where the fields are competitive but no one is mixing it with the elite. Winning 0 from 5 at that level is frustrating, but the placed finishes confirm the horse belongs in those races — it just needs everything to click on the right day.

For a horse without a win, Popa Rich is quietly intriguing. The improvement in recent outings hints that it may be maturing, and a five-year-old that is placing regularly without winning is exactly the kind of horse that can catch punters cold when the moment finally arrives.