Treasure Rose

Her recent form tells an interesting story. In her last six races she has finished second, third, second, fourth, second, and eighth — a sequence that shows a horse who can be relied upon to give a good account of herself on almost any given day. Four runner-up finishes in that stretch suggest she has real ability, but also that there is usually something just a little quicker on the day. The one blip, that eighth-place finish, stands out as the exception rather than the rule.

Ben Coen has been in the saddle for five of those eight races, and the pair have yet to click for a win together. That is not necessarily a knock on either horse or jockey — sometimes a combination just needs the right race to come off. Coen is a talented rider, and Treasure Rose has clearly shown enough to keep him coming back. With the horse still active — she ran just yesterday — there is every reason to think that partnership will get more chances to put it right.

Behind the scenes, Treasure Rose is trained by J P Murtagh at his yard in County Kildare, and this is a team that knows how to win. Fifty-four winners sent out this season is a serious number — that is a yard operating at a high level, with horses sharp and ready to perform. When a trainer of that calibre keeps running a horse, it usually means they believe the breakthrough is coming. For Treasure Rose, the form says she belongs. She just needs the stars to align on the right day.