Titanium Ring

The most telling moment came over hurdles at Uttoxeter, where jockey Stan Sheppard was riding with such confidence heading into the final stages that he was convinced the win was coming — only for the horse to fall at the second-last fence and end the race before it could be decided. That kind of near-miss leaves a question mark rather than a full stop. Trainer Henry Daly, based in Ludlow, Shropshire, is slightly more cautious than his jockey about how certain victory was, but he does describe Titanium Ring as his pick for a dark horse this season — high praise from a man who has sent out 17 winners already this campaign. Before the Uttoxeter fall, Titanium Ring had already shown promise by finishing second on debut at Hexham, behind a horse called Forthfactor.

There was a rough patch after Uttoxeter — a poor run at Ffos Las that Daly puts down to the very wet, muddy ground on the day rather than any real drop in ability. If he's right, that performance is best set aside rather than taken at face value. The recent form figures read 4-2-6-5 going back from there, which reflects the inconsistency of a horse still finding its feet, but also shows the ability to compete when conditions suit. Most of Titanium Ring's races have come at Class 4 level — solid, competitive racing without being the very top tier — and a win at that level would be a perfectly respectable stepping stone.

The next test comes at Ludlow, Daly's home track, which is as good a place as any to finally get off the mark. A trainer running a horse at their own local course usually means they like its chances. Whether Titanium Ring can deliver on the promise Daly clearly sees in it remains to be seen — but there is enough in this record to suggest the first win, when it comes, might not be far away.