Brash

The most encouraging sign in recent weeks is that Brash is consistent. Over its last six runs, it has finished second three times and fourth twice, with only one worse-than-third result mixed in. That's the pattern of a horse that's reliably in the mix, which matters more than it might sound: many horses either win or disappear. Brash is staying put in the middle ground, running well enough to earn a spot in the frame regularly. The trainer David Barron, working with his wife Nicola from their Maunby yard in North Yorkshire, has had a productive season overall with 15 winners, so there's plenty of firepower in the stable. Whether Brash will finally get its head in front remains to be seen, but the consistency suggests the breakthrough could come at any moment.