McElhattan

That said, Donald McCain's operation at Cholmondeley in Cheshire is clearly in good health. With 51 winners sent out already this season, McCain is training at a sharp level, and horses from this yard are worth keeping an eye on when the form does turn. McElhattan raced just yesterday, so whatever McCain is working on with this horse, the process is very much ongoing.

The honest truth is that five races without even a place means McElhattan is yet to find its level. Finishing fifth and sixth repeatedly suggests the horse is competing but not quite threatening — not out of its depth in a way that looks hopeless, but not close enough to trouble the judge either. Whether a small step forward in form is around the corner is the question worth watching.