Al's River

The recent form figures of 4-6-3-4-7 tell a mixed story. That third place is the highlight, but the run of fourths either side of it suggests a horse that is competitive without quite finding the extra gear needed to win. The seventh, the worst result in the sequence, is the one to set aside for now — what matters is whether the promise of that placing can be built on.

Al's River is trained by James Horton at Newmarket, one of the most famous racing towns in Britain and home to some of the sport's sharpest yards. Horton has had 19 winners this season, which shows the operation knows how to get horses winning — the task now is to find the right opportunity for Al's River to join that tally. At three, there is still time on its side, and yards like this tend to be patient enough to find the spot where a horse like this can finally break through.