Abando

The encouraging sign is who has Abando in their care. Jamie Osborne's yard at Upper Lambourn in Berkshire has been in fine form this season, sending out 48 winners — a number that reflects a well-run, ambitious operation with horses good enough to win races regularly. When a trainer is hitting those kinds of numbers, it suggests they know when and where to place their horses to give them the best chance. Abando hasn't broken through yet, but being in a yard firing on all cylinders is exactly the environment a young horse needs.

After a short break of around six weeks since that most recent third-place finish, the question now is whether Abando comes back sharper. Sometimes a horse just needs time to mature and strengthen between runs. With four races of experience now banked and a trainer who clearly knows what he's doing, there's at least a reasonable story to follow here — even if the winning moment hasn't arrived just yet.