Cobalt Comet

What stands out is the trajectory. Those back-to-back thirds are the most recent results, which means Cobalt Comet is running into form rather than out of it — and with a race just yesterday, the team clearly have the horse fit and active. Whether it can convert that placed form into an actual win is the question. Plenty of horses finish second and third repeatedly before everything clicks; others never quite get there. At three years old, there is still time for development, and younger horses can improve significantly as the season goes on.

John Mackie's yard at Church Broughton in Derbyshire has been in solid shape this season, sending out 16 winners — a respectable return that suggests the stable knows how to get a horse ready to perform. Cobalt Comet hasn't delivered a win yet, but it's in the care of a trainer who has been getting results elsewhere. If the form continues to improve and the right race comes along, this could be one that finally gets off the mark sooner rather than later.