Rhoscolyn

But here is what matters about this horse: when Goodwood's ground turns wet and muddy, he becomes a different animal altogether. Over very wet, muddy terrain, he has won 2 of his 4 races — a 50 percent win rate. On softer ground more generally, he has recorded 3 wins from 13 races, roughly 23 percent. His trainer, David O'Meara, has long understood this. Speaking after his August victory in particularly heavy conditions, O'Meara noted that "he's a real old Goodwood specialist" and suggested that the wet ground, combined with the course's layout, simply suits him. The trainer had also flagged that Rhoscolyn performs best over distances between a mile and a furlong and a mile and two furlongs — terrain where he has won 3 of 14 races.

His most recent form tells the story of a horse in quiet decline. In his last six races he has finished second once, but the rest have been nowhere near competitive: 8th, 13th, 19th, 5th, and 11th. He raced just a day ago. With Jason Watson in the saddle for 17 of his races, the partnership has yielded just one win. O'Meara's yard, based near York, has sent out 101 winners this season and continues to place Rhoscolyn in Class 2 races — his natural level — but the horse has not won since last August. He remains active and racing regularly, yet for now the old specialist has gone quiet.