El Carrusel

The recent run of form makes for interesting reading, though. A seventh, then a second, then three mid-pack finishes, and most recently a fourth just yesterday — El Carrusel is clearly racing with regularity and staying competitive, even if the winner's enclosure remains out of reach. That second place is the one to hold onto: it shows the horse can get involved at the business end of a race, even if it hasn't yet managed to finish the job.

John Ryan trains the horse out of Newmarket, one of British racing's most famous centres, and his yard has sent out 11 winners this season — so there's clearly ability being developed there. El Carrusel has typically been running at Class 6, which is the entry level of British flat racing, and has yet to win at that level from three attempts. For a three-year-old, that's not unusual — horses this age are still learning, and some take time before everything clicks. The fact that the team keeps running it regularly suggests they haven't given up on finding the right opportunity.

Whether a first win is just around the corner is hard to say, but with youth on its side and a trainer who is getting results elsewhere in the yard, El Carrusel remains one to keep an eye on.