Argentum

The recent form makes for tough reading. Over the last six races the best result was a fourth, with a couple of eighths and a ninth mixed in — a sequence that suggests the horse is struggling to find its best level right now rather than simply getting beaten by a nose. Jockey Saffie Osborne has partnered Argentum five times without a win, though it is worth noting the pair have not exactly been given an easy hand to play. Argentum typically races at Class 6, which is the entry-level tier of British racing — these are the races designed for horses still hunting their first win or who have found their ceiling at the lower end of the sport. Going 0 from 7 at that level is a challenge the horse and the team at Matt Crawley's Newmarket yard will be well aware of.

Crawley's yard has sent out four winners this season, so the operation clearly knows how to get a horse to the front. Argentum, who raced as recently as yesterday and is firmly in training, will presumably get more chances to put things right. At four years old there is still time, but the clock is ticking — and the first win, whenever it comes, will be a genuinely popular one.