My Shagaf

The recent form tells a familiar story. Those three third-place finishes suggest My Shagaf is no slouch — a horse finishing last every week does not place three times — but the gap between placing and winning has so far proved impossible to close. The last six runs read 7-10-3-8-3-3, which shows enough ability on the right day to suggest a win is not out of the question, but also enough inconsistency to explain why it has not happened yet.

At Class 5, the lowest tier of British racing, My Shagaf has run four times without winning. That level is where horses tend to find things a little more achievable, so going winless there raises a genuine question about whether a first victory is close or whether the search will be a long one. Still, the horse raced just yesterday, which tells you the team believes there is something worth chasing.

That team is trainer T J Kent, based at Newmarket in Suffolk — the heartland of British flat racing, where ambition tends to be measured in Group winners and Classic contenders. Kent's yard has sent out 12 winners this season, which shows a yard in decent working order. Whether My Shagaf can become number 13 remains the question worth watching.