Sea Of Kings

What stands out is the consistency. A lot of horses with no wins from seven races have simply been outclassed or out of form — Sea Of Kings doesn't fit that picture. Five places from seven races means it has been genuinely competitive almost every time, finishing second three times in its last six runs alone. That's a horse that knows how to race; it's just been beaten by something slightly better on the day, every time. Whether that's a finishing kick that falls just short or a tendency to do things the hard way, the underlying ability is clearly there.

The horse ran just one day ago, so it is as current as it gets. Trained by Harry Eustace at Newmarket — one of the most famous training centres in Britain — Sea Of Kings is part of a yard that has sent out 24 winners already this season, which suggests the operation knows what it's doing and is in good form. Newmarket yards tend to have a sharp eye for placing horses in the right races, so it will be interesting to see whether Eustace finds a spot where Sea Of Kings can finally convert one of those places into a win.

The clock is ticking slightly — at four years old, this horse is no longer a youngster learning the ropes. But consistent placings at this stage of a career aren't something to dismiss. Plenty of horses find their moment a little later than expected, and when they do, those near-misses suddenly start to look like promising rehearsals rather than frustrating failures. Sea Of Kings hasn't won yet, but it hasn't stopped trying either.