Salamanca City

That win came at Great Yarmouth on 11 April, just four weeks ago, and it fits a pattern worth paying attention to. Salamanca City has now won 3 of its 12 races at the 1m3f to 1m4f trip — a win rate of 25%, or 1 in every 4. Over a mile and a half, on a flat British track, this horse is in its element. Factor in that it has won 2 of just 5 races on normal ground — a remarkable 40% — and you have a horse with clear preferences that its the yard have clearly learned to exploit.

James Fanshawe trains out of Newmarket, one of the sport's great headquarters, and his yard has sent out 47 winners already this season. That's a stable in strong form, and Salamanca City looks like one of its more reliable performers at the lower end of the scale. Most of its races have come at Class 5 level — the bread-and-butter tier of British racing — where it has won just 1 from 9, an 11% win rate. That modest figure against a backdrop of consistent placing suggests a horse that runs its race every time without always finding that extra gear to win. Honest, in other words.

Ross Coakley is the regular partner in the saddle, riding in 6 of its races for 1 win together — 1 in every 6, or roughly 17%. The relationship is developing rather than dominant, but the combination clearly works well enough to keep the booking. With the horse racing yesterday and already placed, this is one to watch on its next outing, especially if the ground comes up normal and the trip is right.