Private Project

The recent form makes for mixed reading. A third place in its last six runs shows there is ability in there, but a tenth-place finish at the other end of that sequence is a reminder that consistency remains elusive. Most of its racing has come at Class 5, which is the entry-level tier of British racing — the kind of races designed to give horses like this a realistic chance of winning. That it has drawn a blank in all three attempts at that level is a little concerning, though not yet a reason to write it off entirely at three years old, when horses can still be learning and developing.

Trained by Pat Phelan at Epsom in Surrey, Private Project is based at one of the most famous training centres in the world — the same Surrey hillside where the Epsom Derby has been run for over two centuries. Phelan's yard has sent out six winners this season, so the operation clearly knows how to get horses to win. The question is whether they can find the right opportunity to get Private Project off the mark. It raced just yesterday, so it is firmly in the thick of things right now, and the yard will be hoping that the right race at the right moment is just around the corner.

Zero wins from eight races is a tough record to dress up, but plenty of horses have taken time to find their feet before clicking into gear. For now, Private Project remains a horse in search of its moment.