Kerdos

His current form is ragged. In his last six races he has finished ninth, first, eleventh, sixth, eighth and sixth — a sequence that reads like a horse caught between levels, capable of a good day but fundamentally inconsistent. He was sidelined by a bruised foot before his most recent appearance at Haydock and came sixth, but his trainer expected better once he had time to settle. Last won five weeks ago at Dundalk, so he is active but not striking with any real frequency. Rossa Ryan, who has ridden him seven times, has yet to get a winner out of him, which suggests the partnership hasn't quite clicked.

What keeps him interesting is that people who know him seem convinced there is more to come. His breeder and previous the yard saw him as promising material — one noted his big finishing kick at Beverley, where he hardly drew a breath. He was third in the Commonwealth Cup, a prestigious race, which would have felt like genuine progress. Thorne clearly believes he can find another level. At six years old, Kerdos is not a young prospect any longer, but he is not finished either. He simply needs to turn his class into consistency, or settle into a more realistic level where his talents are the norm, not the exception.