Becasse

What does give genuine cause for optimism is where Becasse is stabled. Henry De Bromhead's yard at Knockeen in County Waterford is one of the most productive operations in racing right now, having sent out 110 winners this season alone. That is not a yard that runs horses for the sake of it — when a De Bromhead horse keeps getting placed, you can be fairly sure the team believe there is a race to be won somewhere. Having raced just yesterday, Becasse is very much in active campaign, and with only four races on the clock, there is still plenty of scope for things to click.

The honest truth is that zero wins from four races is not a remarkable record on its own. But the context matters: this is a young horse, lightly raced, trained by someone who knows how to place a horse to its best advantage. Becasse has not disgraced itself once, and in racing, a horse that consistently finishes second is often just one good day away from getting its nose in front.