Triple Double A

Palmer's yard, based at Malpas in Cheshire, has been prolific this season with 67 winners, and there is a clear plan for Triple Double A. The trainer has identified that the horse thrives on fast, dry ground — he has won 3 of his 4 races on such conditions, a striking 75 per cent win rate — and has decided to campaign him on the all-weather, where conditions are consistent and controllable. Palmer has also managed a fracture the horse picked up in Ireland, where Triple Double A finished fourth in an ambitious outing, and believes that time and racing on firmer surfaces will help him mature into a more dependable proposition.

The horse's record at the highest level tells a cautionary tale: he has failed to win in three attempts at Class 2 races, the sort of company where real quality is required to succeed. His recent form has been middling at best, with his best result in the last six races a fifth place. But his jockey Oisin Murphy has noted that Triple Double A was immature last season and is only now beginning to settle into the job, suggesting there is genuine growth happening beneath the surface. If Palmer can keep him on the all-weather and continue to iron out the rough edges, Triple Double A may yet become the consistent winner his win rate hints he could be.