Orne

The problem is that was 32 months ago, and Orne has not won since. The last six races tell their own story: a mix of mid-pack and near-the-back finishes, with a couple of thirds sprinkled in to suggest the talent has not entirely vanished. Racing just yesterday, this is clearly a horse still being asked questions, still being given chances — but the answers have not been forthcoming for a long time.

The distance profile is one of the more interesting details here. At seven furlongs to a mile, Orne has won 2 of 7 races — that works out to just under 1 in every 3.5 starts, which is a genuinely strong return at that trip and stands in sharp contrast to the broader career record. The trainer, Antony Brittain, based at Warthill in North Yorkshire, clearly knows where this horse has its best chance: his yard has sent out 23 winners this season, so this is not a struggling operation looking for answers.

Jockey Cam Hardie has ridden Orne seven times without a win, which is a partnership that statistically has yet to click. That said, their best results together have produced places, so the relationship is not without merit — just yet to produce the goods at the finish line.

What makes Orne genuinely interesting is the gap between what it once achieved and where it sits now. Most horses at this level never sniff a top-level race. This one won one. Whether it can find that level again, or whether that Newmarket afternoon was simply its finest hour, is the question Brittain's team is presumably still trying to answer.