Secretinthesky

That said, the picture is not entirely bleak. The fourth-place finish in there is at least a sign that Secretinthesky can get competitive, and three-year-olds are often still learning what racing is all about at this stage. Not every horse clicks immediately, and some take longer to find their feet than others.

What does offer genuine encouragement is the yard behind it. Julie Camacho trains out of Norton in North Yorkshire and has sent out 46 winners already this season — that is a yard firing on all cylinders, and Camacho has a well-earned reputation for patient, skilled development of younger horses. When a trainer of that calibre keeps running a horse, it usually means they still believe there is a performance waiting to come out. Whether Secretinthesky can deliver on that belief remains to be seen, but it is in good hands while it waits for that first breakthrough.