Man Of Desert

Most of Man Of Desert's races have come under jockey Silvestre De Sousa, but the partnership has not clicked; the pair have run together seven times without finding the winner's circle. Trainer Chris Dwyer, based at Newmarket, has the horse in his yard and has managed eight winners this season elsewhere, though not yet with this particular animal. The handful of races Man Of Desert has contested at Class 4 level — one of the middle tiers of racing — have also ended without victory.

At this stage, Man Of Desert looks like a genuine non-winner, though the occasional placing suggests he has the form to at least fight for a place in modest company. Whether the horse, the jockey, or the training setup will finally combine to produce a breakthrough remains to be seen, but the clock is ticking: at five years old, most horses have already shown what they are capable of.