Lheur De Gloire

Look back through the recent form and the picture is clear: three consecutive finishes of sixth, sixth, and fifth suggested a horse that was trying without ever quite getting there. Then came the placed run, and then the win at Market Rasen — two steps forward in quick succession. Whether that track suited particularly well, or whether something has simply clicked, that upward curve at the end of the form line is exactly what you want to see from a horse still finding its feet.

The trainer is Ben Pauling, whose yard in Naunton, Gloucestershire has sent out 91 winners already this season — a serious operation that clearly knows how to place its horses to give them the best chance of winning. Having a horse like Lheur De Gloire finally get off the mark is the kind of result a big yard works towards, and with the horse having raced as recently as yesterday, Pauling is clearly keeping the momentum going while confidence is high. When a trainer sends a horse out in quick succession after a win, it usually means they think the horse is in good form and ready to build on it. That is an encouraging sign.

One win does not make a career, but one win after seven attempts, followed immediately by another run, tells you the team believes there is more to come. Lheur De Gloire is still young enough at five to develop further, and if Market Rasen proved a happy hunting ground, do not be surprised to see a return trip in the future.