Devious Devan

What is notable is that Devious Devan rarely gets the better of his jockey Lewis Edmunds in the saddle. The pair have partnered nine times without a win between them, which raises a question about whether there is a chemistry issue or simply that the horse performs better with other riders. At Class 5 level — the lower rungs of British racing — he has yet to record a win in six attempts, which tells you something about the calibre of competition even at that modest level.

The horse is trained by William Muir and Chris Grassick at their Lambourn yard, a stable that has had a productive season with 20 winners to their name. That context is useful: when a yard of that quality has a horse with a 6% win rate, it usually means the horse has real limitations rather than the training being the problem. Devious Devan remains actively campaigned, having raced just a day ago, but the signs point to a horse who will likely remain in the lower divisions, winning sparingly and requiring patience from his the yard.