The Bluesman

Olly Murphy trains him out of Wilmcote in Warwickshire, and Murphy's yard has been firing on all cylinders this season with 146 winners sent out. The Bluesman fits the profile of exactly the kind of horse Murphy excels with: physically imposing, still with room to improve, and seemingly getting better the more experience he accumulates. After his debut showed a touch of greenness, he went to Chepstow and won easily — and that track has become something of a home from home. He has won twice from three visits there, which is the sort of record that makes trainers start pencilling in entries before they even check the calendar.

What really makes The Bluesman interesting is how he responds to conditions. On slightly soft ground — when there is a little give underfoot — he has won three of his four races, a 75% win rate that is frankly staggering. It suggests the ground genuinely unlocks something in him, and any time the forecast turns damp, he becomes a very serious proposition. His most recent win came at Haydock Park in February, and Murphy was notably bullish afterwards, suggesting the horse is unlucky not to have a perfect record over fences and hinting openly at a tilt at the Jack Richards at Cheltenham. That is a significant statement — Cheltenham is where reputations are made, and Murphy does not throw that name around lightly.

His recent form reads a little unevenly — a run of 1-2-1 was followed by a seventh and a pulled-up — but he raced just yesterday, which means there is every chance more will become clear very soon. Murphy has described him as a very strong traveller who may actually be better suited stepping up in class, because a stronger pace brings out the best in him. A horse who wins 4 from 9, loves wet ground, dominates at Chepstow, and has a trainer whispering Cheltenham — The Bluesman is worth keeping very close tabs on.