Gold Inn

What does offer genuine encouragement is the yard behind it. Trainer Andrew Slattery, based in Thurles, Co Tipperary, has sent out 60 winners already this season — that is the kind of output that tells you this is a busy, confident operation that knows how to get horses ready to race. When a trainer is firing in winners at that rate, the horses in the stable tend to be well-prepared, and that gives Gold Inn a reasonable platform to build from. Slattery's team will have a clear picture of where this horse fits and what it needs to show improvement.

Raced as recently as yesterday, Gold Inn is clearly an active runner at the moment. The question now is simply whether the pieces start to come together — a first win would be a significant step forward for a horse that, at three years old, still has plenty of time to develop and find its level.