Able Astra

What does give cause for optimism is where Able Astra is trained. Clive Cox's yard at Lambourn has sent out 48 winners already this season, which tells you this is a stable that knows how to get horses ready to perform. Cox is one of the sharper operators based in Lambourn, and horses from that yard tend to improve with experience. A horse in its first two runs, trained by someone with that kind of firepower behind them, is not necessarily a lost cause — it may simply need more time and more racing to show what it can do.

With only two races to judge by and a run as recently as yesterday, Able Astra's story is very much still being written. The fourth-place finish shows there is some ability there — it is the eighth that raises a question or two. Whether this horse develops into something worthwhile over the coming months is the interesting part. For now, it is one to watch rather than one to shout about.