Crebilly

The trouble is, that Exeter win was 27 months ago. Since then, Crebilly has had six races without getting back to the winner's enclosure, and the trainer has been candid about why. An injury picked up on his first run last season set him back significantly, and there have been questions about his jumping over fences — he hasn't always been the smoothest at that discipline. That led the team to bring him back over hurdles at Aintree to get his confidence going again, which is a telling decision. Sometimes with a horse like this, you just need to find the conditions and the format where he feels good about himself.

What gives the team reason for optimism is the broader context. The Jonjo O'Neill yard has been in seriously strong form this season, sending out 52 winners — a number that tells you this is a stable that knows how to get a horse ready to perform. Crebilly's regular partner in the saddle, Jonjo O'Neill Jr, has been aboard for all three of his career wins, a combination that works out at 3 wins from 20 races together, or roughly 1 in every 7 rides. That's a genuine partnership, and those shared wins at the top level of racing suggest the horse and rider know how to get the job done on a big day.

His recent form figures — finishing fifth, then a string of pulled-up or fell runs, then eighth, sixth, and fifth before that — make for sobering reading. But the trainer has specifically mentioned hoping for a clear run this season, implying the injury disruption was the main culprit rather than a permanent decline. At 9, the clock is ticking, but Crebilly has already shown he belongs in good company. A clean preparation could be all he needs.