Blue Tulip

That said, context matters. William Muir and Chris Grassick, who train Blue Tulip out of Lambourn in Berkshire, have sent out 20 winners already this season — so this is clearly a yard that knows how to get horses to perform. The fact that Blue Tulip hasn't clicked yet isn't a reflection on the stable's ability; some horses simply take longer to find their stride, and at three years old, there is still time.

What is worth noting is that Blue Tulip raced just yesterday, meaning the yard are keeping this horse busy and actively looking for a race it can get competitive in. That persistence suggests the team still believe there is something to work with. Whether Blue Tulip can finally reward that faith is the question — but with a capable yard behind it and its career only just beginning, it would be too soon to write it off entirely.