Regulus Black

What gives this story some context is who is doing the training. Hugo Palmer, based in Malpas, Cheshire, is one of the more productive operations in the country right now — 66 winners sent out this season alone is a serious number, and trainers who are firing at that rate tend to know which horses still have a race in them and which do not. The fact that Regulus Black ran just three days ago suggests Palmer's team see something worth persisting with. Horses who are going nowhere tend to get a longer rest or quietly disappear from the racecard.

Two races is also a very small sample. Some horses simply need a few outings before the penny drops — a change of ground conditions, a different trip, or simply the experience of having been round a track a couple of times. Regulus Black is still young, still learning, and the season is not over yet.