Thirsty Owl

Those two fourths are perhaps the most interesting detail here. Finishing fourth means the horse was close enough to see the places, even if it couldn't quite get there. It is a long way from a winning performance, but it does suggest Thirsty Owl is not simply making up the numbers every time it runs. Whether that translates into a first win anytime soon remains to be seen — McLoughlin's yard has been in decent form this season, sending out nine winners, so the infrastructure for improvement is there.

Thirsty Owl raced just one day ago, which means this is very much a horse in the thick of its season with plenty of time to turn things around. At three years old, it is still relatively young and learning the job. Some horses take time to figure out what racing actually asks of them, and with five races now under its belt, the hope for anyone following this horse will be that the penny is about to drop.