Ethereal Charm

Trained by Daisy Hitchins out of Sherborne in Dorset, Ethereal Charm is part of a yard that has clearly been in decent form this season, sending out 14 winners. That context matters: Hitchins is not a trainer who lacks the ability to get horses winning. When a horse keeps finishing seventh or worse in that environment, it raises honest questions about whether this one is finding its level, or simply waiting for the right opportunity to click. With a race as recently as yesterday, the yard — the team — are clearly still searching for answers and willing to keep trying.

At 3 years old, there is still time. Horses of this age can improve, and some take longer than others to figure things out. But six races without so much as a place is a hard record to look past, and for now Ethereal Charm remains one of racing's works in progress.