Echo Of Faith

What makes the current picture a little puzzling is the recent run of form. The last few outings have produced a string of sixth and seventh-place finishes, which represents a noticeable dip from the standard shown on that winning day. Whether that is a matter of conditions, competition, or simply a horse still finding its feet at this level is hard to say, but it is the obvious question hanging over any next run.

Charlie Wallis trains Echo Of Faith from a yard based in Ardleigh, Essex, and the team has been in decent enough nick this season — seven winners sent out, which suggests the operation is ticking along rather than struggling. Wallis is not a name that dominates the headlines, but a steady flow of winners from a smaller yard tells you the horses are being managed well and arriving at the track ready to run. For a horse like Echo Of Faith, that kind of quiet, consistent handling matters.

At three years old, there is still time for the picture to change. Horses at this age are often still developing, and a single win at Roscommon hardly tells the whole story of what Echo Of Faith might become. The recent form is not encouraging, but this is a horse that has shown it can get to the front — and sometimes that is enough to keep the faith.