Melissa Honey

The recent form makes for uncomfortable reading: 8-12-4-7-3-4 in her last six races, listed most recent first. That third-place finish is a glimmer, but the results either side of it — finishing seventh and eighth — suggest it may have been a brief upturn rather than a turning point. She has spent most of her career competing at Class 5, which is the bread-and-butter, lower-tier level of British racing, and has drawn a blank in all seven races at that level. For a horse yet to win, that is the level where it really needs to happen first.

Now three years old and returning from a break of around four months, Melissa Honey comes back fresh but with plenty to prove. The yard itself is in decent form — Michael Herrington has sent out 33 winners so far this season, which shows there is clearly ability in the team to get horses winning. The puzzle is finding the right opportunity for this one. Sometimes a break and a reset can sharpen a horse that has been running in circles without reward. Whether that is the case here, only the next start will tell.