Trigger The Light

His last five races tell a story of near-misses rather than disaster. A fifth-place result was followed by two consecutive top-3 efforts — a fourth place and a third — suggesting the horse runs best when in the thick of things. That most recent third-place finish came yesterday, which means Trigger The Light is being campaigned regularly by trainer Sara Bradstock at Wantage. Bradstock's yard has been busy this season, already sending out four winners, so there is clearly racing judgment at work here. The fact that Bradstock continues to run the horse suggests she believes improvement is coming, and in racing, the yard who are actively racing a horse rather than giving up on it usually have good reason to do so.

For a horse at this stage of his career with this record, the key will be finding the right spot — a race where his level of ability lines up perfectly with the opposition. Trigger The Light may never be a prolific winner, but a horse that consistently runs in the top three frames is not wasting anyone's time, and yesterday's third place shows he is still sharp enough to compete.