Mardy Bum

Trained by David O'Meara at Upper Helmsley in Yorkshire, Mardy Bum is in a yard that knows how to get horses to the winners' enclosure; O'Meara has sent out 101 winners already this season, so there is genuine expertise in the stable. The horse's last six races tell a story of near-misses and solid mid-field efforts: an eighth-place finish, a tenth, then two consecutive thirds, a fourth, and most recently that third yesterday. There is a pattern of promise without the breakthrough, the kind of form that keeps trainers tinkering with tactics and distances while the horse gradually learns its trade. At only two years old, Mardy Bum has time to come good—and with a yard like O'Meara's behind it, the horse will be given every chance to find the winning post.