Sydney Carton

Trained by James Owen at Newmarket, Sydney Carton is in capable hands — Owen's yard has sent out 205 winners already this season, so the horse has access to genuine expertise. The pattern of decent placings suggests there is ability there. Two seconds and a third from five races shows the horse is competitive at the level it is being asked to race, and at just two years old, there is plenty of time for it to develop. The sharp dip in form over the last two outings — the seventh place following a sequence of close finishes — might simply reflect the natural ups and downs of a young horse still learning its trade. That said, converting those near-misses into actual victories will be the next step if Sydney Carton is to justify the investment being made in its career.