Royal Mark

The form figures tell a consistent story, just not a flattering one. That dash in the sequence — 9-8-–-9-7-6 — indicates a race where Royal Mark didn't finish, which only adds to a picture of a horse still searching for its footing. To have run six times without earning a single place finish means it has never once crossed the line in the top three, which at any level is a tough record to look past.

Trainer Sarah-Jayne Davies operates out of Leominster in Herefordshire and has sent out five winners already this season, so the yard clearly knows how to get a horse ready to win. Royal Mark, though, has so far been the exception. In three runs at Class 4 level — which represents solid, competitive mid-tier racing — the horse has drawn a complete blank. Whether that changes will depend on whether Davies can find a setup that suits, and whether Royal Mark has simply been waiting for the right moment. With a race just yesterday, the team are clearly still believing in the project. Whether that faith gets rewarded is the question.