Silent City

The gap since that Newmarket victory is striking. Silent City hasn't won in over a year, and her recent form reads like a horse searching for answers: third, first, second, third, sixth, fifth over her last six races. There's still something there — she's finishing in the places regularly, which shows she can run competitively — but she's not delivering the wins. In a yard like Varian's, which has saddled 87 winners already this season, a horse treading water like this must be something of a puzzle. What makes it interesting is that she's clearly not washed up. She raced just a day ago, she's still young enough at four, and horses can find their form again. Whether Silent City does depends on whether Varian can work out what's holding him back, or whether the horse simply doesn't have the consistency to be more than an occasional winner on his day.