Pat's Cash

The progression tells a small story in itself. The first race ended in fifth, but last time out Pat's Cash finished second — a step forward that matters at this stage of a young horse's career. Two-year-olds are essentially teenagers figuring out what they are, and a horse that improves from fifth to second in the space of two runs has done something encouraging. That race was just one day ago, so whatever impression Pat's Cash made, it is fresh.

Behind the horse stands Hugo Palmer, a trainer based in Malpas, Cheshire, who has had 67 winners already this season — a yard clearly operating with confidence and momentum. When a stable is firing at that rate, it tends to mean the horses are well-prepared and well-placed in races they can be competitive in. Pat's Cash has not won yet, but being part of a yard in that kind of form is no small thing. The first win may not be far away.