Namiid

The recent form is worth a closer look. Reading from most recent backwards, the sequence of 3–4–2–3–14 shows a horse that was running well and finishing close before that last-place finish disrupted the pattern. A single poor run like that can happen for all sorts of reasons — an awkward start, a rough trip through the field, ground that didn't suit — and it doesn't necessarily mean decline. The fact that Namiid raced again just one day ago shows the team are keeping the horse busy and active.

Jockey Ben Coen has been the regular partner, riding Namiid in 7 of those 10 races without a win between them. That's a long partnership to build without a breakthrough, though it does suggest a level of trust from trainer J P Murtagh that the combination is close to cracking it. Murtagh's yard at Coolaghknock Glebe in County Kildare has been in fine form this season — 54 winners sent out is a serious number, showing this is an operation that knows how to get horses winning. The fact that Namiid hasn't joined that tally yet makes it one of the stable's outstanding pieces of unfinished business.

For a horse of this age, patience is still warranted. Three-year-olds are still developing, and plenty of horses find their level — and their first win — later in the season once things click into place. Namiid has shown enough consistency in the places to suggest the talent is there. The question is simply when it all comes together.