Al Maslool

What's encouraging is the consistency in recent form. Looking at the last six races, Al Maslool has finished fourth, third, first, third, second, and eleventh. Strip away that one eleventh-place finish — which happens to the best of them — and you're looking at a horse that's regularly competitive. Three placings in four races before the most recent outing suggests Al Maslool was in decent form heading into its last race just days ago. The fact that it's actively racing and was out just over a week ago means the horse is in regular action and getting plenty of opportunities to break through again.

Chester clearly suits this horse. Both the win and the recent form pattern suggest it runs well there, and trainers often pick a track where their horse has shown ability. William Haggas, one of Britain's top trainers based at his Newmarket yard, has had a productive season with 170 winners already. Al Maslool may not be among his headline horses, but it's getting regular chances to improve.