Sir Trancealot

What gives the picture a little more colour is who is responsible for turning things around. Sir Trancealot is trained by J P Murtagh at Coolaghknock Glebe in Co Kildare, and Murtagh's yard has been in sharp form this season, sending out 54 winners. That is a serious operation, and horses trained there tend to be given every opportunity to find their feet. The fact that Sir Trancealot raced as recently as yesterday suggests the team has not given up on finding the right opportunity.

At three, there is still time. Some horses take a while to work out what racing is actually asking of them. But on the evidence so far, Sir Trancealot needs to find significant improvement to become a horse worth following.