Armstrong

The recent form makes for interesting reading. Four second-place finishes in its last six races paint a picture of a horse that genuinely competes at the level it is being asked to race at — it is not being outclassed, it is being outfinished. The two sevenths suggest the occasional off day, but the pattern of seconds is hard to ignore. At some point, a horse that keeps finishing second tends to win one.

Armstrong is trained at Newmarket by George Boughey, one of the busiest and most productive yards in British racing right now. Boughey's team has sent out 99 winners already this season — that is a remarkable number, and it tells you this is not a small operation quietly ticking along. It is a yard firing on all cylinders, with the staff, the horses, and the know-how to keep a competitive string running at a high level. The fact that Armstrong sits in that yard matters: it is being prepared by people who clearly know how to get horses ready to win races.

Armstrong raced just yesterday, so the yard — sorry, the team — clearly have no concerns about keeping the horse busy. Active, competitive, placed more often than not, and trained by one of the form yards in the country. The win will come eventually. The only question is when.