Clarissa Eclipse

What works in her favour is the yard she comes from. David Simcock operates out of Newmarket — the spiritual home of British flat racing — and his team has sent out 39 winners already this season, which is a serious body of work. Simcock is not a trainer who runs horses for the experience; when a horse leaves his yard, it is expected to be competitive. The fact that Clarissa Eclipse is still in training and ran as recently as yesterday suggests the team sees something worth persevering with.

At this stage, two races is barely an introduction to the sport. Some horses take four or five outings just to figure out what is being asked of them. With a trainer of Simcock's calibre in her corner and her whole career still ahead of her, it would be premature to write her off — but she will need to find some improvement soon to justify her place in a busy, high-performing yard.