Tropical Talent

Yet there are glimmers. Recent form shows the horse is capable of running well at lower levels — it has picked up places in four of its last six outings, most recently finishing second just a day ago. It plainly stays on, which explains why it performs best at distance: one win from 15 races over two miles or more suggests that stamina suits it better than speed. At Class 5, the bread-and-butter level where it competes most often, it has won one of 17, a 6% win rate that sits fractionally above its overall average. The horse is not getting worse; it is simply struggling to break through.

Trainer Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero's Oldcastle yard has been prolific this season with 43 winners to their name, so there is experience and firepower behind the horse. Regular rider Toby Wynne has not managed a win aboard it from eight attempts, which suggests the partnership may not yet have found the right setup. For a horse that clearly stays and can place regularly, Tropical Talent remains a work in progress — one that is still actively racing and still looking for race number two.