Circle Of Trust

The most interesting part of the recent form is the direction of travel. Reading those last six results from oldest to newest — 4, 6, 5, 2, 10, 9 — it is a frustratingly mixed picture, with that placed effort in the middle sandwiched between some disappointing outings. The latest two results, a tenth and a ninth, are hard to put a positive spin on and suggest the horse is not consistently finding its best form yet.

At Class 5, which is the level where horses are still finding their feet and working out what racing is all about, Circle Of Trust has run three times without winning. That is not a disaster at this stage of a career, but it does mean the horse has yet to prove itself even at the entry level of the sport. Kevin Ryan's yard at Hambleton in North Yorkshire is in good shape this season — 45 winners sent out is a healthy total and shows this is a team that knows how to get horses winning. The fact that Circle Of Trust has not yet joined that tally is notable, but it also means it is trained by people who clearly have the skill to turn things around.

At three years old, there is still plenty of time. Some horses take a while to mature, to understand what is being asked of them, and to put a full effort together on the right day. Circle Of Trust has not managed that yet, but with an active yard behind it and another race clearly on the horizon, the next run will be well worth watching.