The Last Promise

Henry Oliver trains the horse from his yard in Abberley, Worcestershire, and the team has been in decent enough form this season, sending out seven winners. That suggests the horses are fit and ready — The Last Promise just hasn't found its feet in competition yet. Whether yesterday's seventh represents a step in the right direction, or simply the latest chapter in a frustrating story, probably depends on what Oliver saw in the run that the result alone doesn't tell you.

At six, this horse isn't a youngster still finding its way in the world — it's a mature animal that ought to know what racing is about by now. Two attempts with nothing to show for either is a thin return, but it's also a small sample. Some horses simply take time to click. The team will be hoping The Last Promise lives up to its name in the most optimistic sense — that the best is still ahead.