Shinealight

That said, the recent form offers a glimmer of encouragement. Looking at the last six races — fifth, fourth, third, sixth, seventh, fifth — there is a period in the middle where Shinealight was creeping closer to the action, finishing third and fourth in back-to-back races. Those results suggest the horse is capable of running respectably, even if converting that into a win has proved elusive. The slide back to fifth yesterday, having raced just one day ago, means the yard will be keeping a close eye on how the horse has come through that effort.

Trained by John Dawson out of Cleveland in North Yorkshire, Shinealight operates mainly in Class 4 races — the middle tier of British racing, competitive enough that you need to be a fairly solid performer to win. Dawson's yard has sent out two winners this season, so it is a small but functioning operation, and Shinealight will need to find its best form if it is going to add to that tally. At Class 4 level, it has run three times without winning, so stepping down in grade might be worth considering if the team wants to give this horse the best chance of getting off the mark.