Favourite Friend

That said, there is one detail worth holding onto: Favourite Friend is trained by Sir Mark Prescott Bt at his Newmarket stable, one of the most respected yards in British racing. Prescott is a trainer renowned for his patience and precision — he plans campaigns methodically, often bringing horses along quietly before finding exactly the right spot for them to win. His yard has sent out 48 winners already this season, which is a serious output and a sign of a stable operating at full tilt. Horses trained by Prescott are rarely run without a reason, which means that even five blank runs in a row do not necessarily tell the whole story.

At three years old, Favourite Friend is still young and still developing. Some horses take time to find their feet, and a trainer of Prescott's calibre will know better than most whether the potential is there. For now though, the results are what they are — and anyone watching Favourite Friend in the paddock this week would be hoping, for the horse's sake, that a corner is about to be turned.