Adalida

Her last victory came at Great Yarmouth five weeks ago, and her recent form reads as genuinely competitive. In her last six outings she has finished second twice, third once, and fifth and eleventh once each, with that win sandwiched in between. It is the kind of pattern you see in a horse that belongs at this level and is learning to get the job done. She broke her duck at Lingfield Park back in May and has shown she can win when the conditions suit.

Stuart Williams's Newmarket yard has been firing all season—67 winners already—so she is trained by someone who knows how to get horses ready. When Marco Ghiani rides her, which has happened five times, the partnership clicks: one win suggests he understands what she needs. Where she struggles is in Class 4 races, the higher-grade contests where the jump in quality shows. She is winless from seven attempts at that level, which is honest feedback about her ceiling.

At three years old, Adalida is still developing, and her recent upturn in form suggests she has found her groove in the races she can win. She was last in the saddle just a day ago, so the yard are keeping her sharp and active. For a horse at her level, that is exactly the right approach.