Maid On The Shelf

That said, she is only three years old and raced as recently as yesterday, so the story is very much still being written. Horses at this age are still learning their trade, and a yard capable of sending out 131 winners in a single season — as Charlie Johnston's Middleham Moor operation has done this year — knows exactly how to develop a young horse. Johnston's team is one of the most prolific in the north of England, and the sheer volume of winners they produce means they are well-practised at being patient with horses that take time to click. If there is ability in Maid On The Shelf, she is in the right hands to find it.

For now, though, she remains a horse in search of her first win — and her best finish.