Auntie Jo

Her recent form shows she remains competitive. In her last six races she has placed in four of them — a third, a second, and two fifth-place finishes — suggesting she is mixing with the right sort of horses. She runs most often with jockey Mark Winn, who has ridden her nine times and shared one win together. The trainer is Katie Scott, based in the Scottish Borders, and Scott's yard has sent out 17 winners this season, so there is clearly horsemanship there. Auntie Jo tends to perform best on normal ground conditions, winning 2 from 17 races on those surfaces — not spectacular, but her two wins have both come under exactly those conditions, which is no accident.

What holds her back is a complete blank at the highest class of racing she encounters. At Class 6 level, she has not won once in 12 attempts. That tells you where her ceiling is, and it is honest work. She is not going to be a star, but she is a genuine racehorse with clear course form and the backing of a solid yard. For a 4-year-old still active and still winning at good intervals, that is enough. Newcastle fans should keep an eye on her.