Roccobear

The recent form tells a mixed story. A second-place finish sits in there, which shows Roccobear can get competitive, but either side of that bright spot are a string of mid-field and back-of-the-field results. Racing yesterday, it is clearly being kept busy, and the team around it are clearly still trying to find the right opportunity to get that elusive first win on the board.

Roccobear typically competes at Class 5 level — the entry-level tier of British racing, where horses are finding their feet and the yard are working out exactly where a horse belongs in the pecking order. Going nought from four at that level suggests it has not yet found its best there, which is a puzzle worth solving. Trainer J R Jenkins, based in Royston, Hertfordshire, has sent out six winners this season, so the yard clearly knows how to get horses into the winner's enclosure. The question is whether Roccobear can be the next one to reward their patience.

At this point, Roccobear is a horse still writing its story. Three-year-olds can take time to mature and find their confidence, and a second place from nine races at least shows it is not completely out of its depth. Sometimes it just takes the right race on the right day — and with a trainer in form, that day might not be too far away.