Top Coeur

What stands out about the recent form strip is the trajectory. Reading those last six results from oldest to newest — third, fourth, third, sixth, fifth, eighth — there is a frustrating pattern of fading rather than building. The earlier thirds hinted at a horse capable of mixing it with the leaders, but the more recent runs have seen Top Coeur drift back through the field. Whether that reflects a horse finding its level, a tricky spell of form, or simply bad luck is the kind of question the trainer will be working hard to answer.

That trainer is Christian Williams, based at Ogmore-By-Sea on the Glamorgan coast — a yard that has been in genuinely productive form this season, sending out 25 winners. That context matters: this is not a yard struggling for ideas. Williams clearly knows how to get horses winning, which means Top Coeur's wait for a first victory is unlikely to be through lack of attention or horsemanship. The team will back themselves to find the right opportunity. The horse raced just yesterday, so it is very much in the middle of its campaign right now.

For a five-year-old with no wins yet, patience is required — from the yard and from anyone watching. But two placed finishes from six races is not nothing. It means Top Coeur has finished in the top three in a third of its races, which is the kind of raw material a trainer can work with. The first win may come sooner than the current form suggests.