Duskaura

The real story lies in the timing of those wins. Duskaura broke its duck at Ripon in mid-June last year, then went quiet for more than a month before landing a second victory at Lingfield Park in late July. That's exactly the kind of pattern you want to see in a young horse: it learns what it takes to win, then does it again within a reasonable timeframe. The most recent six races tell a mixed picture. A first-place finish at Lingfield five weeks ago was followed by a sixth-placed effort just a day ago, suggesting the horse is still racing regularly but hasn't yet found the consistency that separates a useful performer from an also-ran. The form either side of that win — a fourth place and a seventh — is neither alarming nor thrilling.

It's worth noting that Duskaura has never won at the highest level it has been asked to compete at. In three attempts at Class 4 — one notch below the top tier — it has failed to win, which underlines that this is a horse for the lower divisions where it has found success. Tony Carroll's Cropthorne yard has been in excellent form this season with 136 winners, so the horse is in a stable that knows how to get horses to the winner's enclosure. For a three-year-old with two wins already banked and still maturing, Duskaura looks like it has the platform to add more victories, provided it stays fit and the yard can pitch it into races at the right level.