Velociraptor

Hugo Palmer's Malpas yard, which has already sent out 67 winners this season, trained Velociraptor through that breakthrough win at Chester two months ago. The form since has been patchy rather than dire. The horse wins roughly 1 in every 4 races and places in three of four starts, which means it is competitive enough to get close regularly but struggling to finish the job as often as you might hope. At this age, that kind of record — win early, then hang around without breaking through again — is familiar. Some horses come good later; others plateau. With yesterday's third-place run and no win since July, Velociraptor will need to find another gear soon to justify the promise of that Chester debut.