Teddy Shaw

What gives the situation some interest is who is trying to turn that around. Ruth Carr's yard in Stillington, North Yorkshire, has sent out 56 winners already this season, which is a serious output and a sign of a stable firing on all cylinders. Carr is a trainer who knows how to place horses and find the right opportunities, so the fact that Teddy Shaw is still running — he raced just yesterday — suggests the team hasn't given up on finding a race that suits him. Sometimes it takes time to work out where a horse belongs, and a busy, successful yard is exactly the place you'd want to be while that puzzle gets solved.

For now, though, the results speak for themselves. Zero wins and zero places from four attempts is a tough record to dress up. The next run will be worth watching simply to see whether there's any sign of improvement — because right now, that's what everyone around this horse will be hoping for.