Howsham

What works in Howsham's favour is the stable behind it. Michael and David Easterby operate out of Sheriff Hutton in North Yorkshire, and they are having a productive season — 55 winners sent out already, which tells you this is a yard that knows how to get horses into winning positions. The Easterbys have been a fixture of northern racing for decades, and they tend to be patient, practical handlers. A horse in their care that hasn't found its feet yet isn't necessarily a lost cause.

Howsham raced just yesterday, so it's clearly being kept active. Sometimes horses improve simply through racing and finding their rhythm, and at three years old there's still time for the penny to drop. But right now, this is a horse in search of its first breakthrough.