Masaban

What keeps the story from being entirely grim is who is doing the training. Edward Bethell operates out of Middleham in North Yorkshire, one of racing's great northern strongholds, and his yard has fired out 59 winners already this season. That is a genuinely impressive volume of success, which tells you this is a sharp, well-resourced operation — not one in the habit of fielding horses without a plan. Masaban raced just one day ago, so this is very much a horse still in the middle of its story rather than at the end of it.

Three-year-olds are, by nature, a work in progress. They are still maturing physically and mentally, still learning what racing actually asks of them, and it is not unusual for a horse to need several outings before things click. The fact that Bethell keeps running Masaban suggests the team sees something worth persevering with. Whether that patience pays off is the question the next few races will answer.