Velociraptor

The most recent form tells an interesting story. After winning at Chester three weeks ago, Velociraptor ran fourth in its last outing just over a week past, then bounced back with a third-place finish in the most recent race, run just yesterday. That's the kind of up-and-down pattern you often see in young horses—they have a good day, then a bad one, then steadily find their feet again. Being ridden back to the track so quickly suggests the trainer, H Palmer, believes the horse is made of the right stuff and worth persisting with.

Palmer trains out of Malpas in Cheshire, not far from Chester itself, and the yard has sent out 67 winners already this season, which speaks to a stable with genuine form and know-how. For a 2-year-old with just three races under its belt, Velociraptor has the ingredients worth watching: a course where it has already won, solid form in the placings, and a trainer with a track record of bringing young horses along. It is early days, but early days can be exciting.