Twilight Serenade

Twilight Serenade has had a rough introduction to racing. Its recent form reads 10-8-5-4-7-4, which tells a story of gradual improvement in reverse — the horse was finishing last or near-last early on, and its most recent runs show it creeping closer to the action without ever threatening to be involved at the finish. That latest figure of fourth is genuinely the best it has managed, but fourth at the lowest level of British racing, Class 6, is a long way from earning its keep.

The four-month break is worth noting. Horses come back from spells away for all sorts of reasons — a minor setback, a trainer deciding to let a young horse mature, or simply waiting for the right opportunity. Richard Fahey's yard at Musley Bank in North Yorkshire is one of the most productive operations in the country, sending out 82 winners already this season, so there is clearly no shortage of ability passing through those gates. The hope would be that Twilight Serenade returns a more confident, more developed horse than the one that finished fourth four months ago.

Still, the facts are what they are. Six races, no reward, competing at the sport's entry level and not winning there either. For a two-year-old there is time yet — young horses can improve dramatically as the season goes on — but Twilight Serenade needs to show something soon, or the question stops being "when will it win?" and starts being something less comfortable altogether.