Tiernan

The progress has been slow and steady rather than spectacular. Tiernan has found the winner's enclosure elusive across eight races, though he has finished in the top three on three occasions — suggesting a horse that competes honestly without quite getting over the line. His recent form reads 2-11-6-22-2-3, meaning his last two runs both ended in near-misses. That second place most recently came just yesterday, which tells you this is a horse very much in the middle of his story, not at the end of it.

What gives Jardine genuine cause for optimism is what happened in the Glasgow Stakes, where Tiernan ran well enough to finish third and earned a rating of 101 from the official handicapper. A rating of 101 places a horse firmly in decent competitive company — it is not the mark of a moderate animal. And in his most recent race, beaten at odds that made him a strong favourite, Tiernan may simply have run into a rival who turns out to be exceptional. Jardine is relaxed about it: the winner, he reckons, looks a very good horse.

The other detail worth knowing is that Tiernan is, by the trainer's own admission, a bit lazy at home. He does not always show his best work on the gallops, which can make it tricky to know exactly where he is. Jardine describes him as a work in progress — four years old, still maturing, still learning. Paul Mulrennan has partnered him in five of his eight races without getting him into the winner's slot yet, but the bigger picture here is not about one jockey or one run.

Jardine's yard has sent out 57 winners this season alone, so when the trainer says he still has faith and thinks this horse could be very good, it is worth taking seriously. Tiernan has the pedigree, the rating, and a trainer who believes. The first win, when it comes, might be the start of something.