Black Missile

What's notable is the pattern at either end of that sequence. Black Missile's two third-place finishes — its very first run and its most recent race, just yesterday — suggest a horse that arrived with promise and still hasn't lost it. The middle races, where it finished fourth and fifth, might represent the kind of learning curve any young horse goes through, and the return to third last time out is at least heading in the right direction. Whether it can turn those near-misses into a first win is the question everyone around the horse will be asking.

It is trained by Julie Camacho, who operates out of Norton in North Yorkshire. Camacho's yard has sent out 46 winners already this season, which is a serious number — it puts her firmly among the more productive trainers in the north of England. When a trainer is firing in winners at that rate, it tends to mean horses are well-placed and fit, so the fact that Black Missile hasn't won yet is unlikely to be down to mismanagement. It's simply a horse that has more to prove.

For a three-year-old still finding its feet, being placed twice from six races isn't a disaster — it means prize money has been collected and the horse is learning what racing is about. But horses that keep finishing third and fourth without winning can become frustrating projects. Black Missile will need to find a race where everything clicks, because the talent to compete is clearly there. The next few outings will be telling.