Le Cold Grey

Paul Nicholls trains him at Ditcheat in Somerset, one of the most successful jumping yards in Britain. This season alone, the yard has sent out 92 winners — a number that reflects not just talent but the quality of operation behind every horse that runs in the famous blue and gold colours. When Nicholls talks about a horse being "one of our better prospects," it carries real weight, because there is plenty of competition for that title.

What the trainer has said about Le Cold Grey is encouraging. His father is a top French sire who has been producing winners at a rapid rate in both France and Britain — pedigree is no guarantee, but it does set a ceiling, and this horse appears to have inherited something useful. Nicholls was keen to run him at Ascot recently but was put off by the wet, muddy ground, which suggests the horse is likely to be seen to better advantage when conditions are faster and more normal. That short break of 43 days looks planned rather than forced — just waiting for the right race on the right day.

With only two runs to his name, Le Cold Grey remains largely an unknown quantity. But two placings from two races in a competitive yard, combined with a trainer who is openly excited about what he sees on the gallops, makes this a horse worth keeping an eye on. The wins will come — the question is just when.