Hellcat

The most recent form is what will interest people closest to the horse. That third-place finish just one day ago — Hellcat is as fresh off the track as it gets — came after a couple of quieter runs in the middle of its career, where tenth and eighth places suggested things weren't clicking. The comeback to a placed finish is encouraging, and trainers often talk about horses needing time to learn their job, especially at three years old, when they are still physically and mentally developing.

Hellcat is trained by Ross Burdon at Newmarket, one of the most famous racing towns in the world and home to dozens of top yards. Burdon's team has sent out 12 winners already this season, which shows there is form in the stable and that horses leaving that yard arrive at the track ready to run. Being trained somewhere with that kind of momentum matters — good horses around them, sharp preparation, and a trainer who clearly knows how to get results. Whether Hellcat can become winner number 13 remains to be seen, but on recent evidence, the pieces are beginning to fall into place.