Hoosier

There is no shame in being winless at this stage. Two-year-olds are still learning their trade, and finishing fourth and fifth suggests Hoosier is competitive without yet having found the winning thread. The question is whether experience will sharpen things up.

What works in Hoosier's favour is the team behind the horse. Trainer Michael Bell operates out of Newmarket, the heartland of British flat racing, and his yard has sent out 44 winners already this season — a level of output that speaks to a well-run, high-quality operation. Horses trained by Bell tend to be well-prepared, and a yard firing at that rate clearly knows how to get the best out of its horses. Hoosier may not have troubled the judge yet, but being part of that setup means the foundations are solid. A first win could come sooner than the bare form figures suggest.