Ka Mate Du Brivet

The most recent run tells an interesting story. That ninth-place finish looks like the outlier — sandwiched between two runner-up efforts, it reads more like a blip than a pattern. Horses that finish second as often as they finish anywhere else tend to be frustrating but genuinely competitive, and there is every reason to think Ka Mate Du Brivet is closer to the placed form than the poor one.

What works in its favour is who has the horse in their care. Warren Greatrex's yard at Upper Lambourn has sent out 50 winners already this season — a serious number that puts the operation firmly among the busier, more productive yards in the country. Upper Lambourn is one of the heartlands of British racing, and a trainer firing at that rate tends to have a clear picture of when and where each horse fits. Ka Mate Du Brivet raced just yesterday, so this is a horse very much in the middle of its campaign, with Greatrex clearly keen to keep it ticking over and find the right opportunity.

Five years old and still winless might sound like a concern, but three races is a tiny sample — there are horses who take time to find their feet and then rattle off several wins in quick succession once the penny drops. With two places already banked and an active trainer behind it, Ka Mate Du Brivet looks like a horse worth keeping an eye on.