Tiger

What is encouraging is how his trainer Ian Williams has found a distance that suits him. Over 1 mile 3 furlongs to 1 mile 4 furlongs, Tiger has won 1 of his 6 races — roughly 1 in 6 — which is a significant lift on his overall record and hints that when conditions and distance align, he has a fighting chance. That sole win came at Chester on 2 August, eight weeks ago now, and it remains his only taste of victory. His recent form is mixed: in his last six races he has managed a second, two fourths, a couple of other placings, and a twelfth-place finish. Nothing disastrous, but nothing suggesting a horse about to break through.

Williams's Portway yard in Worcestershire has sent out 96 winners this season, so Tiger is racing in a stable with genuine firepower. Being trained by someone producing winners at that rate is a mark in his favour, even if Tiger himself has not yet repaid that investment with consistent results. At 4 years old, he is at an age where improvement is still possible, though the window for dramatic development is narrowing. He raced just a day ago, so he remains an active part of the racing schedule — still looking, it seems, for another day in the sun.