Orinoco Walk

The recent form doesn't offer much encouragement either. Looking at the last six races, the best result was a runner-up finish, but that has been surrounded by a string of mid-field and back-of-the-pack efforts — finishing as far back as ninth on multiple occasions. There is no clear upward trend here, no sign of a horse suddenly finding its stride late in its career.

What is perhaps most notable is that Orinoco Walk raced just yesterday, so this is a horse still active and still being asked questions. Whether that persistence from the team reflects genuine belief in an untapped run, or simply a hope that the right race comes along at the right moment, is hard to say. At eight, with no wins on the board, the window is a narrow one.