Goldfinder

The one bright spot is that second place, which at least shows Goldfinder is competitive enough to threaten. But four consecutive fourths is a pattern that raises honest questions. Fourth is the cruellest spot in racing — near enough to suggest ability, far enough back to leave the yard empty-handed. Whether this is a horse still learning its job, or simply one that finds a way to come up short when it matters, only more races will tell.

Goldfinder is trained by Patrick Chamings, whose yard in Baughurst, Hampshire has sent out nine winners this season — a solid return that suggests the operation knows what it is doing. That makes Goldfinder something of an outlier in the stable, a horse with potential that has so far refused to convert. The horse raced just yesterday, so it is very much in the thick of its season, and there will be more chances to turn this frustrating record around.