Red Spells Danger

The recent form tells a compelling story. Reading it from oldest to newest, Red Spells Danger went third, then two disappointing sixths, then back-to-back second places, and then bang — two wins on the spin. That latest victory came at Hamilton Park just this week, making this a horse in the form of its life right now. When a young horse clicks into gear like this, it tends to turn heads very quickly.

The trainer behind it is Tim Easterby, who operates out of Great Habton in North Yorkshire and is having a remarkable season — 126 winners already, which tells you this is not a quiet little yard but one of the most productive operations in British racing right now. Horses trained by Easterby tend to be tough, consistent, and well-placed, and Red Spells Danger fits that profile perfectly.

One genuinely interesting tension in the story is the relationship with jockey David Allan, who has ridden this horse five times without a winner. Importantly, both of Red Spells Danger's wins have come without him — which means someone else has been in the saddle for the good days. That is not necessarily a problem, but it is the kind of detail that makes you wonder whether the right combination has finally been found, or whether it is still being worked out.

What the horse clearly loves is normal ground — the kind of conditions you might call a firm but fair surface. On that ground it has won 2 of its 6 races, a rate of 1 in 3, which is excellent. Step it up to the very top level and it has yet to deliver — three attempts at Class 2 races, which are among the best races in Britain, have brought no wins. But given it is only three years old and is winning races back-to-back as of this week, that test may be coming sooner than anyone expected.