Firewalker

The recent form tells a small but promising story. The last two runs read 9-2 in reverse order, meaning Firewalker finished ninth on debut before bouncing back sharply to run second next time out. That kind of improvement between a first and second race is exactly what you want to see from a young horse still learning the job, and it suggests the team has been patient in letting the horse develop at its own pace.

That team is the yard of Kevin Philippart De Foy, based in Newmarket — the heartland of British flat racing, a town where the horses outnumber the people and where serious trainers go to compete at the highest level. De Foy's operation has sent out 43 winners already this season, which puts it firmly among the busier and more successful yards in the country. When a stable is firing in winners at that rate, horses in their care tend to be well-prepared and well-placed, so Firewalker racing off the back of a second place from an active, in-form yard is an encouraging combination. The first win could be close.