Aurora Mist

The recent form offers the faintest flicker of encouragement, at least compared to what came before. Finishing 15th and 11th in two of those earlier races was bleak, but the last couple of runs — a seventh and a fourth — suggest Aurora Mist is at least starting to find its level and run more consistently. A fourth-place finish is still outside the places in most races, but it is a long way better than trailing home near the back of the field. Whether that represents genuine improvement or simply easier company is the question worth watching.

Andrew Slattery trains and rides the horse, which is an unusual double responsibility — most trainers hand the reins to a dedicated jockey. Based in Thurles in County Tipperary, Slattery's yard has sent out 60 winners this season, so there is clearly talent and organisation there. But the partnership between Slattery and Aurora Mist has produced nothing in five shared races together, which will be a source of frustration for everyone involved. The horse raced just yesterday, so it is clearly being kept busy, and that willingness to keep running suggests the team still believes there is something to find.

At this point, Aurora Mist is a project in progress — a young horse that has not yet worked out how to win, or perhaps not yet found the right race to do it in. The yard clearly knows what it takes to get horses winning, so the hope will be that experience eventually translates into results.