Nicolai

What makes the situation interesting is where Nicolai sits. The horse is trained by Jack Channon at West Ilsley in Berkshire, a yard that has sent out 46 winners this season — so this is clearly an operation that knows how to get a horse to the winner's enclosure. When a stable of that quality keeps running a horse, it usually means they believe there is something worth finding. Channon's team races horses to learn about them as much as to win, and at three years old, Nicolai is still a young horse with time on its side.

The fact that Nicolai raced just one day ago and is considered currently active suggests the yard is persevering, which in itself is a quiet vote of confidence. Sometimes horses take longer than expected to put it all together. Whether that moment arrives for Nicolai remains to be seen — but for now, the scorecard makes for sobering reading.