Eben Zaabeel

The numbers are honest, though. Eben Zaabeel has not won in any of his last six races, and his record at Class 4 level — one of the mid-tier grades in British and Irish racing — reads zero wins from five attempts. His most regular partner, jockey Jim Crowley, has yet to get him to the line first in seven rides together. But look at the recent form and it is not all bleak: he finished second twice and third once in his last six outings, which means he has been competitive, just not quite finding that extra gear when it matters most.

What makes him worth watching rather than writing off is the trainer's belief that Eben Zaabeel simply has not shown his best yet. Martin pointed to a race at Yarmouth as genuinely encouraging and suggested that a step up to a mile and a half — a longer trip than he has typically been asked to handle — could be the key that unlocks him. Some horses take time and distance to find themselves. Eben Zaabeel raced just one day ago, so he is very much in active training, and if Martin's instincts about that extra distance are right, the win column might not stay empty for much longer.