Coded Welder

The recent form tells an interesting tale. Back-to-back third-place finishes were followed by a couple of disappointing runs — finishing 13th and then 10th — before the horse bounced back sharply with a second place and then a fourth at the most recent outing, which came just yesterday. That turnaround from the low point of those mid-sequence finishes suggests there's still a competitive horse here, one capable of running well when conditions or circumstances fall its way.

Coded Welder runs out of Cian Collins's yard in Navan, Co Meath, a team that has sent out 20 winners already this season — a healthy total that tells you the operation knows how to get horses ready to perform. Being trained by a yard in that kind of form is a real asset for any horse, even one still chasing that elusive first win. Collins clearly has Coded Welder ticking over and in the mix, as yesterday's run confirms.

At seven years old, the clock isn't exactly on its side, but horses have won their first races later in life. What Coded Welder needs is for everything to click on the right day — and given it has been placed in more than half its races, it isn't far away. There will be punters who have backed it five times and watched it finish second or third each time, which is either encouraging or maddening depending on your outlook.