Milverton

Robbie Colgan knows this horse better than anyone, having ridden Milverton in 8 of those 16 races without a win to show for it. That kind of long-term partnership without reward is a test of patience for everyone involved, though it does suggest the team believes the right race is still out there somewhere. Milverton raced just yesterday, so this is very much a horse in active campaigning — Karl Thornton's yard in Skerries, Co Dublin clearly has not given up on finding the right opportunity.

Thornton has sent out 4 winners this season, so the yard is capable of placing horses to win. The fact that Milverton's most recent finishing positions read 14-6-6-7-10 — a sequence that includes a finish well down the field — suggests the horse is finding life difficult at present. There is no obvious upward curve in the form to point to, which makes the search for that elusive first win feel like a long road yet.