Zoustellar

The horse competes mainly at Class 5 level, which is the entry point of British racing — the races where horses are learning their trade and finding their feet. Going winless from three attempts at that level is not where the team would want to be, but a third-place finish shows Zoustellar can at least get involved when things go right. The question is whether that competitiveness can be turned into something more decisive.

What does give genuine cause for optimism is who is doing the training. George Boughey's yard in Newmarket has sent out 105 winners already this season — that is a serious operation, one of the more productive in the country right now. Newmarket itself is the heartland of British flat racing, home to some of the sport's most respected trainers, and Boughey has established himself firmly among them. When a yard of that calibre keeps running a horse, it usually means they believe there is a race to be won somewhere. Zoustellar raced just yesterday, so this is very much a story still being written.