Lillistar

What makes Lillistar's profile a little puzzling is where that single win has come from. Over long distances of two miles and beyond, the horse has raced 16 times and won just once — a 6% win rate. That is where it clearly belongs in terms of stamina, yet the results have not followed in proportion. More eyebrow-raising still is its record at Class 5 level, which is the bread-and-butter tier where horses like Lillistar are expected to compete regularly and pick up wins. Across 11 races at that level, Lillistar has not won once. For a horse with genuine placing ability, that zero is the one figure the yard at Middleham will want to change most urgently.

Regular partner Brian Hughes has been on board for six of those races together, and the pair are yet to win. That does not reflect badly on Hughes — he is one of the most respected jockeys in the north of England — but it does underline that this is simply a horse still looking for the right conditions to click. Recent form gives a small cause for optimism: two runner-up finishes in the last six runs suggest Lillistar is racing in decent enough shape, and with Micky Hammond's yard having sent out 25 winners this season, the training form is clearly there. Hammond is an experienced hand at Middleham and knows how to place a horse to its best advantage.

Lillistar raced 18 days ago and is currently active, so another opportunity is likely not far away. The job for the team now is straightforward, if not simple: find the right race, on the right day, and hope Lillistar can reproduce what it managed at Wolverhampton back in the autumn. One win in 28 races is not a star-making record, but plenty of horses have broken a losing run on far shakier foundations.