Rory Rocket

What makes the recent form worth paying attention to is the sequence. Reading the last six runs from most recent backwards — 6th, 1st, 11th, 11th, 6th, 8th — tells a story of inconsistency on either side of that Kempton win. Two poor efforts followed the breakthrough, which might give pause, but the horse ran just one day ago, meaning it is clearly being kept busy and the yard has plenty of confidence in its fitness. That yard, run by Gary and Josh Moore out of Lower Beeding in West Sussex, has been in seriously good form this season, sending out 99 winners — a number that speaks to an operation firing on all cylinders right now.

The one puzzle worth noting is the combination with jockey Tom Queally. Together they have raced six times and have not won once — 0 from 6 is a tough record to ignore. That is not necessarily anyone's fault; sometimes a pairing simply does not click, and Rory Rocket's sole win came under different circumstances. At Class 4 level, which represents mid-tier competition, the horse has also drawn a blank across five attempts — 0 wins from 5 — which is a little surprising given that this is where it races most often. The Kempton win came as a welcome exception to that pattern, and the question now is whether it represents a turning point or a one-off peak.

Rory Rocket is the kind of horse that keeps you guessing. Not a consistent winner by any stretch, but trained by a yard in excellent shape and with a recent victory still warm on the record, there is just enough here to stay interested.