Thequietman

He is trained by David O'Meara at Upper Helmsley in North Yorkshire, and it is worth knowing that O'Meara is having a seriously productive season — 107 winners already this term, which is the output of a yard running at full tilt. That context matters: Thequietman is not sitting in a quiet backwater hoping for his moment. He is surrounded by horses who know how to win, and the trainer clearly has a plan for him.

That plan starts with managing his temperament. O'Meara has been candid that the horse tends to be keen — in other words, he pulls and wastes energy before the race has properly begun, which is the kind of habit that costs horses races they should win. He was bought as a breeze-up horse, meaning he was purchased at auction after showing speed in short trial gallops, so the price tag was significant and the expectation was high. He showed enough in Ireland to suggest the ability is there — including a second-place finish in a decent race at Leopardstown — but the combination of his keenness and the step up in class appears to have kept that first win just out of reach.

The plan is to bring him back over a mile on softer, wetter ground, which may suit his style better and encourage him to settle rather than burn himself out chasing the pace. At five years old, he is no youngster, and the clock is ticking in a quiet kind of way. But horses trained by O'Meara tend to get their moment eventually, and Thequietman clearly has enough in him to suggest that when the conditions click, there is a win somewhere in this horse.