Star Noir

The three-year-old has finished in the top four in every single one of its last six races, with a second place and a third among them, and raced just yesterday, so this is a horse firmly in the thick of things right now. That consistent presence near the front of the field suggests Star Noir is competitive and trying hard — it just hasn't quite managed to get its nose in front when it matters. Three places from seven races is something, but at some point near misses need to become wins.

Billy Garritty has been the regular partner, riding Star Noir in five of those seven races without a victory to show for it. That said, five rides together is still a fairly short partnership, and the pair clearly know each other well by now. The bigger question is whether the horse has simply been unlucky, or whether something needs to change — in tactics, distance, or conditions — to unlock that first win.

The yard behind Star Noir is no small operation. Michael and David Easterby, based at Sheriff Hutton in North Yorkshire, have sent out 55 winners already this season, which tells you this is a team that knows how to get horses winning. They are not short of ability or experience. The fact that Star Noir competes at Class 5 — the bread-and-butter level of British racing, where horses are relatively evenly matched — means the opportunity is genuinely there. Star Noir hasn't won any of its four races at that level yet, but it keeps placing, keeps finishing respectably, and keeps turning up. For a three-year-old still learning the game, that foundation is worth something. The Easterbys will back themselves to find the right race eventually.