Horses to keep tabs on were thin on the ground at Wednesday's Happy Valley card but the Class Four third event provided more than one pointer to a coming winner.
First and foremost was the winner himself, Calling With Love, who managed to win despite covering ground three wide and exposed for most of the race.
Under top weight of 133 pounds, it was a more than creditable performance, even allowing for a possible track bias that saw most of the night's winners come down a section of the middle of the home straight and even cover ground on the final bend into the stretch.
Calling With Love was the first one to highlight the path as he scrambled in over Happy Champion, but the victory will hold him in good stead as he moves back into Class Three.
Only the extended ratings band of the race midweek allowed Calling With Love to race Class Four gallopers but with a weight drop back into the next class, he looks a chance to win again provided trainer Caspar Fownes can keep the gelding's health issues tamed.
Two of the beaten runners caught the eye though, with Peaceful Mission somewhat flattered by the tempo under a light weight but still responsible for a decent effort at his first outing for nine months, and Croesus yet again crucified by a bad barrier.
Somewhere in another life, Croesus must have been a very bad boy because he has been forced to deal with gates of nine or wider at eight of his last nine appearances. As a result, his record reads one win and nine placings from his 18 starts but he is capable of much better.
Zac Purton attempted to get forward and across from barrier nine on Wednesday but found What A Heart and Supreme Flight pushing up his inside, making him work hard and not allowing him to ever get comfortable. Croesus' ninth had echoes of the effort of Domineer recently from the same start before he bolted in from a low draw at his next run.
Croesus is in winning form, he just needs something to drop his way when the start positions come out.
