Stromness

There is, however, a reason not to write Stromness off entirely, and that reason is Nigel Tinkler. The Langton trainer, based in North Yorkshire, has sent out 37 winners already this season — a genuinely productive yard that clearly knows how to get horses to perform. When a stable is operating at that kind of volume, they tend to be patient and purposeful with the horses that haven't clicked yet. A short break of 53 days since its last race suggests the team has given Stromness a little time to develop, rather than simply running it into form.

At three years old, this is a horse still learning what racing is about. Some horses take five or six runs before everything comes together. The trajectory — eighth, then sixth, then fifth — is modest but it is at least pointing in the right direction. Whether Stromness turns that corner soon is the open question, but in Tinkler's hands, it will at least be given the chance to find out.