Tiernan

The four-year-old's only win came at Hamilton Park on 1 August, but it was his run in the Glasgow Stakes that really caught Jardine's eye—a third-place finish that earned him an official rating of 101, the kind of mark that signals genuine promise. Since then he's been beaten at long odds-on, which sounds like a setback until you learn that the winner looks like a genuinely top horse; sometimes you simply run into something better on the day. Paul Mulrennan has ridden him five times without a win, but the recent form tells a different story: wins and places in two of his last three races suggest he's finally waking up. The work at home has been the puzzle—Jardine describes him as "a bit lazy"—but on the track Tiernan appears to be finding his feet.

With just 1 win from 10 races and most of his outings ending in mid-field finishes, Tiernan remains a work in progress. But Jardine's faith is real and plainly stated. For a horse who spent his early career elsewhere, one win in the past month is traction, and a rating of 101 puts him at a respectable level. Raced just yesterday, he's clearly being kept active and sharp. If the early promise holds and the laziness at home doesn't resurface when it matters, this could yet be a horse worth watching.