Dacres Cross

That Carlisle victory remains the high point, and it came at Class 4 level, where Dacres Cross has actually been quite competitive. In four races at that tier, it has won one — a 25% win rate, or 1 in every 4, which is a solid return and suggests it belongs in that company when conditions suit. The problem is what has happened since: the last six results read 3-1-17-7-6-11, starting from that win and running backwards, and the more recent numbers on the left tell a worrying story. Finishing 6th, then 7th, then 17th — that last figure in particular suggests a race where things went badly wrong, whether through a bad draw, interference, or simply an off day.

Kevin Ryan's yard at Hambleton in North Yorkshire is one of the more productive operations sending horses out this season, with 45 winners already on the board. That kind of output from a trainer tends to mean horses are placed thoughtfully, so it is worth watching whether Ryan finds Dacres Cross a spot where it can recapture that Carlisle form. Having raced just one day ago, it is clearly fit and being kept busy, which suggests the team believe there is more to come.

At three years old, there is still time for Dacres Cross to build on that one career win and turn itself into something more consistent. The Carlisle performance is the proof that it can do it. The question now is whether it can do it again.