Cannes

The recent form shows exactly this pattern. In the last month alone, Cannes has finished second twice and third once, bookended by a couple of unplaced runs that stand out as genuine anomalies rather than the norm. That second-place finish just a few days ago indicates the horse is in active work and being targeted at races where it belongs. J P O'Brien's yard at Owning Hill has been prolific this season, sending out 160 winners, and Cannes appears to be training well enough — the consistency of those place finishes suggests a horse that knows how to run a race and stays competitive at its level.

The frustration is that Cannes hasn't won since May. Over three months without a victory, despite those regular podium finishes, hints at a horse that needs either slightly easier conditions to pick up a second win or perhaps a different approach to how it's being run. But horses with this kind of record — winning once in every six attempts while placing in five of them — rarely stay without a winner for long. Cannes looks like it has the ability to break through again soon.