Soldier In Milan

At seven years old, Soldier In Milan is no youngster, but that is not unusual for a horse whose career is still in its early chapters — some take longer to develop than others, and the racing record here suggests a horse that has been given time rather than rushed. The recent sequence of 4-4-blank-1 tells an interesting story: a win, then a gap out of the form picture, then two fourth-place finishes. Not spectacular, but not a horse that has fallen away either. Fourths can be frustrating — just outside the money, just short of a result — but they also suggest a horse consistently competing rather than making up the numbers.

The trainer behind this is Emmet Mullins, operating out of Bagenalstown in County Carlow. Mullins has sent out 31 winners already this season, which marks him as a yard in fine form — that volume of winners tells you this is not a small operation finding its way, but a competitive stable with horses ready to run well. A horse trained by someone in that kind of rhythm tends to arrive at the track in decent order.

Soldier In Milan last raced 24 days ago, so it is current, fit, and clearly being kept busy. With only four career races to its name, there is genuinely more to discover about what this horse can do — and given that its one win came at a prestigious track like Punchestown, the ceiling here may be higher than the modest record suggests.