Tabasko

Trained by Ed Walker out of Upper Lambourn in Berkshire, Tabasko is at least in capable hands. Walker's yard has fired out 76 winners already this season, which tells you this is a stable that knows how to get horses to the line first. The fact that Tabasko hasn't managed it yet isn't necessarily a reflection of talent — some horses take time to find their feet, and a yard producing at that volume tends to know when a horse is ready to peak.

The recent form figures — 2-5-4-4-3-5 — paint a picture of a horse that has been competitive without quite delivering. That second-place finish is the most encouraging sign: it means Tabasko has already been close, beaten rather than out of the picture entirely. The back-to-back fourth places and a third elsewhere suggest a horse that shows up, competes, but hasn't yet found that extra gear when it matters most. At Class 4, the level it typically races at, a win feels like a realistic target rather than wishful thinking — these aren't the deepest fields in the sport.

At three years old there is plenty of time, and nothing in the record suggests Tabasko is struggling badly — finishing second and third doesn't happen to horses that are hopelessly outclassed. The question now is whether Ed Walker can find the right race at the right moment to finally get that first win on the board.