Gerry's Darling

What makes the picture slightly harder to read is how young this horse is. Two-year-olds are essentially teenagers finding their feet, and plenty of decent horses have started with a pair of anonymous finishes before clicking into gear. That said, two races in and no placing at all — not even a top-three finish — means Gerry's Darling has some ground to make up before anyone gets too excited.

The one genuinely encouraging note is where the horse is trained. Roger Fell's yard in Nawton, North Yorkshire, has sent out 25 winners already this season, which tells you this is an operation that knows how to get horses performing. Being part of a yard in that kind of form matters — the horses are clearly fit, well-prepared, and race-ready. Gerry's Darling raced just yesterday, so the yard are keeping this one busy, which suggests they believe there is something worth developing here. Whether the horse can justify that faith is the question still waiting to be answered.