Cotai Eye Joe

The real puzzle is what has happened since that Wolverhampton victory. Five months on, the horse has not won again, though it has shown some spark in recent weeks. Its last six races read 9-4-12-1-3-3, meaning it has picked up a second place and two thirds in its most recent outings. That second-place finish four runs back, and the couple of third-place efforts, suggest the horse has the ability to get into contention — it is not a complete passenger. Yet it is also not putting it all together often enough. The run of 9-4-12 before that second place looks like a horse still learning the game, struggling to deliver on what its the yard believe it can do.

Trainer Ivan Furtado, based at Wiseton in South Yorkshire, has a yard in good form this season with 43 winners to their name, so Cotai Eye Joe is at least in a yard that knows how to get horses to the winning post. The fact that the horse has raced actively — it was out just a day ago — suggests the team is still keen to find the right opportunity. At this stage, Cotai Eye Joe remains a work in progress, but the recent hints of form give reason to think it might not be far away from a second win.