Tex

His recent form tells an interesting story. Over his last six races, he has finished third, third, third, fourth, third, and second — almost always thereabouts, rarely out of contention, but consistently just unable to get over the line first. Baker is candid about why: as a young horse, Tex would sometimes hit the front and then simply stop finding more. That is a frustrating habit, and it explains why he remains a maiden despite clearly having enough ability to compete. The yard has recently tweaked his wind — a minor procedure to help him breathe more efficiently — on the basis that there was something left to unlock. It is a small but telling sign that Baker believes the talent is there, if the plumbing can be sorted out.

What gives this story genuine hope is the trainer's tone. Baker, based at Epsom Downs in Surrey — a yard that has sent out 14 winners already this season — describes Tex as a horse who was simply too big and raw to fulfil his potential early on. He points to horses in his care who have come good at five, six, even seven years old, and credits patient ownership for making those stories possible. Tex, he suggests, is cut from the same cloth: a horse that needed time, and may finally be ready to use it.

Tex won't race again until early next year, with Baker giving him the winter to strengthen and mature. That is not a horse being shelved — it is a horse being prepared. Whether the wind tweak and an extra season on his back finally turns those placed efforts into a win remains to be seen, but there is clearly a trainer who still believes, and that counts for something.