L Young

The most telling detail is the partnership with He Might Be Lucky, a horse whose name at this point reads more like a question than a statement. The pair have gone out together seven times without a win — and given that seven races represents the bulk of Young's entire recent output, this one horse and this one trainer are essentially in it together, for better or worse. When you are a small operation, that is often how it works: your fortunes and one particular horse's fortunes become the same story.

What keeps small trainers going through stretches like this is hard to explain to anyone outside the sport, but it usually comes down to belief — in a horse that hasn't clicked yet, in a race that hasn't come up yet, or simply in the process itself. Young has been at this since 2021, which means four years of early mornings and entry fees and near-misses, all without a winner to frame on the wall. The first one, when it comes, will mean a great deal.