Divine Knight

The recent form figures tell an interesting story. Reading from most recent backwards — 3, 3, 6, 14, 4, 2 — you can see a horse that is almost always competitive. Back-to-back third-place finishes, a runner-up spot, another fourth: this is a horse that keeps showing up close to the front without quite getting its head in front. The 6th and 14th suggest it does have off days, but the overall picture is of a horse hovering just outside the winners' enclosure, waiting for things to click.

Step up in class and it has found life harder still. In three races at Class 2 level — some of the better races in Britain — Divine Knight has yet to win, going 0 from 3. That is not a disgrace; these are competitive fields, and simply making the numbers in them is a mark of quality. But it does suggest the horse may need to find something extra to break through at that level.

What works in its favour is the stable behind it. William Haggas, based in Newmarket, is one of the most respected trainers in the country, and this season his yard has sent out 170 winners — a remarkable volume that reflects both the quality of horses in his care and the efficiency with which they are prepared. When a Haggas horse keeps finishing second and third, you pay attention, because the team does not tend to run horses without purpose.

Divine Knight raced just a day ago, so it is very much in the thick of its season. A horse that keeps threatening without delivering can be maddening — but in racing, one good day is all it takes. The Thirsk win proves it knows how to win. The question now is whether it can do it again.