Stay Hopeful

Trained by Henry Oliver out of a small yard in Abberley, Worcestershire, Stay Hopeful is part of a setup that has punched out seven winners this season — so the operation clearly knows how to get a horse to the front. The fact that Stay Hopeful hasn't managed it yet suggests this is simply a horse still finding its feet at this level, or perhaps waiting for conditions or a race that suits it better.

What is worth noting is that Stay Hopeful raced just yesterday, which means the team clearly believes there is something worth persevering with. Horses that are going nowhere tend to get quietly put away. The fact that Henry Oliver keeps running this one is, in its own small way, the most optimistic thing you can say about its prospects.