Nicator

The recent form tells an interesting story. Read from left to right, those six results — 6, 2, 2, 4, 2, 7 — show a horse that came good in the middle of its career before tailing off a little at either end. Three runner-up finishes in that sequence suggest Nicator is genuinely competitive at this level, not simply making up the numbers. The question is whether it can find that extra gear when it matters most, or whether it is the kind of horse that always gives its best and finds one just a little too good on the day.

What is also worth noting is the yard behind it. Kevin Philippart De Foy's Newmarket operation has sent out 40 winners already this season — that is a yard in serious form, and they do not tend to keep running horses unless they believe a win is coming. Nicator raced just one day ago, so this is a horse very much in active campaign mode. At Class 5, the level at which it has raced three times without winning, the competition is modest by racing standards. That makes the absence of a win slightly puzzling, though it equally means the opportunity is there every time Nicator lines up. One good day, and everything changes.