Driving Miss d'Azy

The recent form figures tell a story of gradual improvement heading in the wrong direction — a fourth place a few runs back looked like a breakthrough moment, only for the last three outings to bring finishes of eighth, seventh, and sixth. Progress has been elusive. She has tried three times at Class 4 level, which is mid-tier racing, and has yet to win any of them, which raises a question the yard at Cheltenham will be working hard to answer.

That yard, run by Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls, is a genuinely respected operation. Thirty-one winners already this season is a serious number — these are trainers who know how to get horses ready to win. When a stable that productive keeps running a horse, it usually means they can see something worth persevering with. Whether Driving Miss d'Azy can finally deliver on whatever that potential might be remains the open question.