Mertoun

The last six races tell a story of inconsistency that is perfectly normal at this age and level. There have been two fourth-place finishes and a couple of seconds mixed in with the wins, which suggests Mertoun is competitive in most races but not yet at the point where victory is routine. The most recent run, just yesterday, was a ninth-place finish—the kind of below-par effort that happens to every horse and probably means little on its own. What counts is that this horse has beaten rivals twice in its last six attempts and clearly has the ability to strike again.

Trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam at Dalham in Suffolk, Mertoun has the benefit of a yard that is having a strong season with 24 winners already. The first career win came at Windsor in late June, and the Carlisle victory seven weeks ago shows the horse can win on different tracks. At three years old, Mertoun is entering the stage where form should ideally start to sharpen up. The recent Carlisle win suggests it is on an upward curve, and with that kind of win rate and the backing of a competent trainer, there is every reason to think better days lie ahead.