Princess Vivi

The most recent form tells a story of consistency of the wrong kind. Looking back over her last six races, Princess Vivi has finished fourth on three occasions, and before that came a 13th, an eighth, and a seventh. Those three fourth-place finishes are almost tantalising — close enough to suggest she is not being outclassed completely, but far enough back that the prize money has always gone elsewhere. Jockey Cam Hardie has been in the saddle for five of her races and is still searching for a first win aboard her, though the pair keep lining up together which at least suggests the team believes there is more to come.

She tends to compete at Class 6, which is the entry level of British racing — the tier where horses find their feet or, sometimes, find their ceiling. Four races at that level and nothing to show for it yet raises honest questions about where a breakthrough might come from. That said, Princess Vivi raced just one day ago, so she is very much an active runner, and Brittain is clearly not giving up on her. With a trainer who has been winning races regularly this season, the infrastructure is there — sometimes a horse just needs the right day.