Parlando

The real story is one of recent form looking patchy. In the last six races, a third place finish at the start of his recent run was the only bright moment; since then it has been a sequence of eighth-place, eighth-place, and sixth-place finishes, with a fourth somewhere in between. Only a day ago he was back in action, so Parlando remains an active competitor despite the flat stretch. His last victory came eight weeks ago at Chester on 25 July, a solid enough moment but now receding into the past.

What is interesting about Parlando is where he has found his wins. At Class 2 level — the top tier of racing where the best horses compete — he has managed just one win from ten attempts, which tells you that when he gets to the really big races, he tends to find the competition too hot. But his five career victories suggest he has carved out a niche at slightly lower levels, places where he can use his experience to his advantage. Trained by Ian Williams at Portway in Worcestershire, Parlando is part of a yard that has sent out 96 winners this season, so he is in a stable with genuine know-how behind him.

At seven years old, Parlando is in the middle of his racing life, neither young nor old for a horse in training. Whether his recent poor form is a temporary dip or the beginning of a longer decline is the question his the yard will be asking themselves. For now, he remains a horse that shows up, races competitively more often than not, and occasionally finds the line ahead of the field — the definition of a journeyman professional.