Manalishi

Trained by Richard Phillips at his yard in Adlestrop, Gloucestershire, Manalishi raced just yesterday and is very much an active part of a stable that has sent out three winners already this season. Phillips is not a household name in racing, but a yard that keeps finding winners is a yard that knows what it is doing. The question for Manalishi is whether the team can find a race where the horse can convert all those near-misses into something concrete.

The honest truth is that placing in all four races is not nothing — plenty of horses never see a podium finish at all. But a horse that finishes second three times without winning is the kind of story that keeps punters and trainers alike searching for the right opportunity. One small drop in class, one softer field, or simply the right day could be all it takes.