Rakki

The clue to understanding Rakki lies in the distances he likes. Over the longer jumps races between 1 mile 6 furlongs and 2 miles, he has won 2 of his 6 attempts — a 33 per cent win rate that stands out sharply against his overall record. Give him those longer trips and he becomes almost twice the horse. His recent form line reads 1-5-7-16-6-2 from his last six races, with that win at Tramore coming just days ago. The six-place finish before that suggests he was already in the mix, and his jockey Paul Townend remarked after the Roscommon win that Rakki had shown enough experience and composure to succeed, even after a stumble near the end of the race. Trainer Willie P. Mullins has noted that Rakki can be a handful beforehand — excitable, needing to settle — but believes that hurdling might steady him. The horse's jumping career began promisingly enough at Chepstow, where he ran well despite being noticeably smaller than his rivals on debut.

What really matters for Rakki now is that he has momentum. Two wins in a year suggests he is beginning to work out what works for him. Mullins runs one of the most formidable yards in Ireland, with 215 winners this season alone, and Rakki's recent success at Tramore means he is likely to get the opportunity to prove he can sustain this improvement. He remains most effective over the longer distances in smaller races — Class 4 company has so far eluded him completely — but give him the right trip, the right ground, and the right type of race, and he can still win.