Controlla

That runner-up result is worth holding onto, though. Look at the recent form in reverse and there's a clear direction of travel: a fourteenth, then a fifth, then a second. That's a horse moving the right way, improving with each outing as racing experience starts to click into place. For a two-year-old still in the early weeks of a career, that kind of upward curve is more meaningful than the bare win column suggests.

Controlla is trained by Robson De Aguiar at a yard in Mullingar, County Westmeath, and the outfit has been in decent form this season — 16 winners sent out, which is a solid return and suggests a stable that knows how to get its horses ready to run. With Controlla racing as recently as yesterday, the team is clearly keeping the horse active and giving it every chance to build on that improving run of form. A first win could come sooner than the record implies.