Elmakaya

Elmakaya runs out of the Curragh yard of D K Weld, one of Irish racing's most respected operations. The team has sent out 24 winners already this season, which speaks to the quality and consistency of the stable. Weld is not a trainer who runs horses just to make up the numbers, so the fact that Elmakaya has been kept busy and is racing as recently as yesterday suggests the yard believes there is something worth developing here.

The key question now is whether Elmakaya can convert that placed form into a first win. Plenty of horses spend a few races finding their feet before everything clicks — and a horse with two podium finishes from three outings is clearly not embarrassing itself. Watch for whether the team targets a specific type of race or surface that might suit it better, because trainers of Weld's experience tend to know exactly which conditions will unlock a horse. The win might not be far away.