Quilt

The recent form — 8, 9, 3, 5, 5, 4 in order from latest to earliest — tells an interesting story. Those early finishes of fourth and two fifths suggest a horse that was decent but not quite sharp enough, and then came the encouraging third. The last two runs, however, have been steps backwards rather than forwards, with an eighth and a ninth raising genuine questions about whether Quilt is finding its level or just having a rough patch. At three years old there is still time to work it out, but the clock is ticking on what has so far been a fruitless campaign.

What Quilt does have in its corner is the trainer. Ed Walker's yard at Upper Lambourn has sent out 76 winners this season, which speaks to a genuinely busy and capable operation. Walker is known for placing horses carefully and getting the best out of three-year-olds in particular, so Quilt is at least in professional hands. The yard will have a clear picture of where this horse fits and what it needs to finally break through. Whether Quilt can reward their patience is the question worth watching.