Picaro

What works in Picaro's favour is the outfit behind it. James Owen trains out of Newmarket — the spiritual home of British flat racing — and his yard has sent out 204 winners already this season. That is a remarkable number. To put it in perspective, many trainers consider a season a success if they reach 50. A yard firing at that volume is well-organised, well-resourced, and clearly knows how to get horses ready to run. Picaro may not have delivered yet, but it is being prepared by people who evidently know what they are doing.

Having raced just yesterday, Picaro is very much a horse in motion. Three races at three years old is a light campaign — plenty of horses this age are still finding their feet, working out what racing actually involves. The progression from a ninth to two fourths is modest, but it is progression. Whether that trend continues into a first win is the question worth watching.