Polygram

The recent run of form tells a slightly more difficult story. In the last six races, Polygram has finished sixth, sixth, seventh, seventh, fifth, and third — a sequence that shows a horse trending in the wrong direction. The sole bright spot is that third place, the most recent good effort, but the subsequent performances haven't built on it. At Class 5 level — the entry-level tier of British racing — Polygram has run seven times without winning, which means even at the easiest grade available, the breakthrough hasn't come.

Trainer Tristan Davidson operates out of Irthington in Cumbria, a smaller yard that has nonetheless sent out 21 winners this season, which shows the team knows how to get horses to win. The fact that Polygram hasn't found the same success isn't a reflection on the yard — some horses simply take time, or need specific conditions to click. Davidson will know this horse better than anyone, and the fact it was racing just one day ago suggests the yard are keeping it busy and looking for the right opportunity rather than giving up on it.

Whether that opportunity comes is the question. Polygram isn't disgraced — finishing in the top three or four in nearly a third of its races shows ability — but it hasn't yet found a way to turn that into a victory. For casual observers, it's the kind of horse worth watching if its odds drift, because when a horse has been close as many times as this one has, the win can sometimes arrive out of nowhere.