Madentine

The most recent run, just yesterday, produced a second-place finish in a field of nine. Finishing second is the kind of result that is easy to dismiss, but in a sport where most young horses finish mid-pack and take time to figure things out, running into the top two from only a second career start is a decent platform to build from.

What lends genuine optimism here is the yard behind her. Clive Cox trains out of Lambourn in Berkshire, one of the most respected racing villages in the country, and his operation has been in sharp form — 48 winners already this season. That is a serious number, and it means Madentine is not just any two-year-old finding her feet; she is in the care of a trainer who clearly knows how to get results right now. When a yard is firing at that kind of volume, the horses coming through its gates tend to be well-prepared and well-placed. Madentine has yet to prove she belongs in that company, but the evidence so far is that Cox believes she does.