Affection

The trainer David Pipe, based at Nicholashayne in Somerset, has had a strong season with 37 winners already to his name, so Affection has experienced hands. The yard clearly knows how to get horses to the winner's enclosure, which means there is genuine potential here — it is not as though the horse is stuck with a trainer who struggles to win races. The question is whether Affection will be next to break through for Pipe, or whether it remains one of those solid, consistent runners that occasionally threatens but never quite seals the deal. With the recent dip in form after that second place, the next few races will tell whether the horse can find its feet or whether it is simply not quite good enough at this level.