Hasbro Market

The recent form string tells an interesting story. Reading right to left — the way these things work — Hasbro Market won, then finished second, then second again, then second, then sixth. In other words, after a bright start it has been knocking on the door repeatedly without quite getting back to the top step. Finishing second three times in four races is the kind of form that makes you wonder when the breakthrough will come again rather than whether it will.

O'Meara's operation is one of the busiest and most productive yards in the north of England, having sent out 107 winners already this season — that's a serious number, and it means horses in his care are well placed and given every chance to win. Hasbro Market raced just yesterday, so this is a horse very much in the middle of a campaign, not one being freshened up or sent for a rest. That level of activity at three years old suggests the team sees more to come.

With a 20% win rate — one win from five races — and a placing record that covers four of those five outings, Hasbro Market is a horse that earns its keep every time it runs. The challenge now is turning all those near-misses into winners again, ideally back at Thirsk, where it has already shown it knows what to do when the moment comes.