Romantic War

The recent form does at least offer a small crumb of comfort. A third-place finish in there among the last six runs shows Romantic War can get close to the action on its day, even if the victories remain stubbornly out of reach. The other runs — finishing as low as 14th — suggest performances that vary quite a bit from one race to the next, which makes it difficult to pin down exactly what this horse needs to show its best.

Jockey Rory Cleary has had seven rides on Romantic War without a win to show for it, which mirrors the horse's overall record almost perfectly. That kind of long-running partnership without a breakthrough is unusual — most combinations either click or get changed up — so there may be an element of loyalty or belief from the team that things can eventually come good. Trainer J G Murray's yard has managed just one winner so far this season, so this is not a stable firing on all cylinders at the moment.

What keeps things interesting is that Romantic War raced just one day ago, meaning it is very much an active runner rather than a horse being nursed along between appearances. The question for anyone watching is simple: with 24 races of experience now banked, does the first win finally come, or does the wait continue? For a horse that has placed four times without winning, the talent to get involved is clearly there — it just has not been enough yet.