Mia Fantasia

What's interesting about his recent record is the inconsistency. In his last six races, he's gone 1-3-6-1-5-7, which tells the story of a horse that can be brilliant one day and thoroughly disappointing the next. He's capable of winning — he proved that at Carlisle in late June and again at York in August — but he's just as capable of running a stinker. That sort of form suggests he's still maturing, still learning what racing is about, which isn't unusual for a two-year-old but does mean he's a work in progress rather than a finished product.

He hasn't raced for a week, but his record over this season shows he's being run fairly regularly, which is the hallmark of a trainer confident enough in his ability to keep putting him in the ring. Her the yard at Hugo Palmer's yard at Malpas have sent out 67 winners this season, so she's in a competent operation. Whether he develops into a serious prospect or remains a useful but ordinary performer will depend on what he does next time he runs. Right now, he's a horse with genuine ability but no consistency to back it up — promising, but not yet proven.