Way Of Life

The real story sits in two key facts. Way Of Life absolutely thrives on normal ground conditions, winning 7 of his 23 races on such surfaces — nearly 30%, which is nearly double his overall win rate. Even more telling is his record at Lingfield Park, where he has become a genuine specialist: three wins from just seven races, most recently in April of this year. Soft or heavy ground and faster tracks suit him far less well, which explains why his trainer is reluctant to run him on unsuitable going. At Class 4 level, where he typically competes, he wins roughly one in every ten races, a sign that he has found his proper level after years of searching for it.

Jonathan Portman's yard at Upper Lambourn has been in exceptional form this season and appears committed to finding the right opportunities for Way Of Life rather than chasing quick wins. The trainer has spoken about moving the horse into the amateur riders' Derby at Epsom later this month — a race Way Of Life has contested before — as a way of keeping him competitive while avoiding the tougher Class 3 and Class 2 contests that now await him as his rating edges up. For a horse that was once so difficult and unpromising, that kind of tactical patience suggests genuine faith in his continued development.