Elmakaya

The trainer behind it is D K Weld, based at Curragh in Co Kildare, and that name carries real weight in racing. Weld's yard has sent out 29 winners already this season, which is the mark of an operation that knows exactly what it is doing. Horses from this team tend to be prepared carefully and placed well, so the fact that Elmakaya has been placed in both of its races so far, rather than floundering, is a good sign. Zero wins from two races sounds modest, but placed finishes mean the horse is finishing in the money — it is not being outclassed.

At three years old, Elmakaya is still at the very beginning of its story. Two races is a tiny sample, and a yard with Weld's record does not keep running horses without a reason to believe in them. One to watch.