Allaire

What makes Allaire's situation interesting is the team behind it. Andrew Balding's yard at Kingsclere in Hampshire has sent out 202 winners this season alone — that is a serious operation, the kind that doesn't run horses without a plan. Balding is one of the shrewder trainers in the country, and a yard producing that volume of winners tends to know when a horse is ready to step forward and when it needs a bit more time. The fact that Allaire raced just yesterday and is clearly being kept busy suggests the team believes there is more to come.

The key question now is whether Allaire can convert those placed efforts into an actual win. Finishing second is fine, but it doesn't pay the same. With three races under its belt and two recent runner-up finishes, this horse is learning the job and getting competitive. If the right opportunity comes along — the right distance, the right conditions, a slightly weaker field — Allaire looks like a horse that could grab it.