Usyk

The recent run of form makes for interesting reading. Over the last six races, Usyk has finished third, pulled up or was unseated, fifth, fourth, sixth, and second — a sequence that is inconsistent enough to suggest the horse hasn't fully found its rhythm yet. That second place is the bright spot, proof that on its day Usyk can mix it with better horses, but the pulled-up run in the mix will be a concern for the yard. Consistency is the missing ingredient right now.

What works in Usyk's favour is the yard behind it. Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies, based in Naunton in the Gloucestershire countryside, have sent out 62 winners already this season — that's a training operation clearly in fine form. When a yard is firing at that rate, horses tend to be placed in the right races at the right times, and a horse like Usyk, still searching for a first win, will be placed carefully to give it the best possible chance of breaking that duck. The fact that Usyk raced just one day ago shows the team are keeping it busy and in a rhythm, which can only help.

At five years old, Usyk is still relatively young and has time on its side. Some horses simply need more races to mature and find their confidence, and seven runs is not a huge sample. If the Twiston-Davies yard — one of the more prolific in the country this season — can find the right opportunity, that first win may not be far away.