Nada Two

What will sharpen interest is who is waiting on the other side of that door. Nada Two is trained by K R Burke at Coverham in North Yorkshire, and Burke's yard has sent out 139 winners already this season — a volume that puts them among the most productive operations in the country. When a trainer is firing in winners at that rate, the horses they bother to keep in training and bring back for more tend to be there for a reason. Burke doesn't need to fill a card with no-hopers.

The horse hasn't raced in roughly six months, which is a significant absence for a young animal still learning its job. That layoff could mean almost anything — a minor setback, a period of growth and development, or simply a patient team waiting for the right opportunity. What it does mean is that Nada Two returns as something of an unknown quantity, even with that neat 0-2-2 record. Watch how it moves in the early stages of its comeback run; a horse that has matured over a winter break sometimes announces itself quietly before it starts winning.