Toastmaster

Those two placed finishes at least show Toastmaster is not disgracing itself. Running in Class 5 company — the entry-level tier of British racing — it has finished second twice, which means it is competitive at that level even if the winner's enclosure has so far remained out of reach. The challenge now is converting that consistency into an actual win, and at 0 from 5 at Class 5, the clock is ticking on what has become a stubborn losing run.

What might give the team encouragement is the calibre of operation behind the horse. Toastmaster is trained by Simon and Ed Crisford out of Newmarket, one of the most famous training centres in the world, and their yard has sent out 84 winners already this season — a serious number that tells you these are people who know how to get a horse ready to win. When a yard is firing at that rate, it tends to mean the horses in their care are placed carefully and prepared well. Toastmaster has not delivered yet, but it is in the right hands to figure it out.