Smithfield

That said, the recent form figures are worth a closer look. The sequence reads 2-4-8-7-15-4 going back from that placed run, and what jumps out is that the two most recent outings — a second and a fourth — are comfortably the best efforts of the six. If you were being generous, you'd say Smithfield is heading in the right direction. If you were being cautious, you'd point out it still hasn't crossed the line first in any of them.

What works in Smithfield's favour is the trainer. Gavin Cromwell operates out of Navan in County Meath and has been in serious form this season, sending out 98 winners. That is not a yard coasting along — that is a yard firing on all cylinders, and horses trained by people in that kind of form tend to get every possible advantage. At four years old, Smithfield is still relatively young and has time to develop. Cromwell will know this horse inside out by now, and the fact that it ran just yesterday and is considered currently active suggests the team are keeping it busy and looking for the right opportunity.

The honest summary is that Smithfield is an unproven horse with a patient trainer and a recent uptick in form. Whether those two things combine into a first win soon is the question worth watching.