Make It Up

That third-place finish is the one thing worth holding onto. It shows the horse can at least threaten at this level, even if converting that into a win has so far proved beyond it. Most of its racing has come in Class 5 company — the bread-and-butter end of the sport, where the competition is more accessible — and yet the wins haven't come. Zero from three at that level suggests this is a horse still finding its feet rather than one being held back for something bigger.

What works in Make It Up's favour is the yard behind it. William Knight trains out of Newmarket, which is about as serious an address as British racing gets — the town is essentially the headquarters of the sport in this country, packed with top-level facilities and serious professionals. Knight's team have sent out 27 winners already this season, which is a healthy return and suggests they know how to get a horse ready to perform. A yard with that kind of firepower doesn't give up on a young horse easily, and at three years old, Make It Up has time on its side. Some horses simply take a while to click.

The fact that it raced just one day ago and remains active suggests the yard — sorry, the team — are keeping it busy and in a rhythm, which can sometimes be exactly what a young horse needs to find confidence. Whether Make It Up eventually justifies the faith being shown in it remains to be seen, but for now it is a horse still very much in the making.