Herbygoesbananas

The more pressing concern is the recent run of form. Looking at the last six races, the sequence reads 4-3-3-6-6-4 — a couple of placings buried in the middle, but nothing better than third, and two disappointing sixth-place finishes in there too. At Class 4 level, which is mid-table territory in the racing pecking order, Herbygoesbananas has gone 0 from 3, which is the grade where you would most expect a horse of this profile to be competitive. That it has not managed a win at that level is a small but telling detail.

Henrietta C Knight trains the horse from West Lockinge in Oxfordshire, a yard that has sent out 15 winners this season, so there is clearly no shortage of ability in the stable. Knight is a trainer with a serious reputation — she guided the legendary Best Mate to three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups — and she has remained active in the sport since returning to training. Having a horse in that yard is no small thing, even if Herbygoesbananas is yet to repay the faith. The horse ran just yesterday, so the yard are keeping it busy, and that level of activity sometimes signals a yard searching for the right opportunity to get things clicking again.