The Thames Boatman

The most striking thing about this horse is what happens when you put him on normal ground at Lingfield Park. He has won 4 times from 14 races there — that's better than 1 in every 4 visits — at a track where plenty of horses show up and disappear without a trace. Hughes himself noted after one Lingfield win that the horse simply loves the place, and that the team were happy to keep coming back. There was even a hint that stepping up slightly in distance could bring a little more improvement out of him. When a trainer says something like that, it usually means the horse is doing things right.

His regular partner in the saddle is Finley Marsh, and the two have built a real understanding over 28 races together. Marsh has ridden him to 5 of his 8 wins — roughly 1 in every 6 rides — and knows exactly what the horse needs. After one run on the all-weather, Marsh was candid: The Thames Boatman is at his best when there's genuine pace in the race and he has something to chase down. Leave him without that target and he can make life harder for himself, as Marsh admitted after one run where the horse drifted in the closing stages.

None of that stopped him winning at Goodwood just this week — his most recent race, run just a day ago — which is about as current as form gets. It is his eighth career win and arguably his most prestigious venue yet, though his heart still seems to belong to Lingfield. Hughes's yard has sent out 60 winners already this season, so this is a busy, confident operation, and The Thames Boatman is clearly contributing his share. Recent form reads 1-2-9-2-6-4, with that win and a second place in the last two outings suggesting he is coming into the summer in good nick. One to keep an eye on, particularly if Lingfield comes back into the picture.