Affection

Trained by David Pipe at Nicholashayne in Somerset, Affection is part of a yard in good form this season—Pipe has already sent out 37 winners. The yard's recent success suggests the team knows how to get horses ready to win, even if Affection has not yet benefited from that expertise. Before the ninth-place finish, the horse had shown flashes of ability with a fourth-place run and a second-place finish earlier in the sequence, indicating that victory is not beyond reach. The pattern of recent form—9-6-6-4-2-3—shows Affection capable of running well enough to place, but consistency remains elusive. The horse remains active and racing regularly, which is a sign the the yard believe there is more to come.