Craven Force

At two years old, that context matters. Horses this age are essentially teenagers finding their feet, and it is not unusual for them to need several races before the penny drops. Craven Force ran for the last time just yesterday, so whatever that experience taught it — and experience is the whole point at this stage — it is fresh in the horse's legs and memory.

The trainer is Craig Lidster, who operates out of Norton in North Yorkshire. With 20 winners on the board this season, the yard is clearly not short of ability or confidence, and Lidster has shown he knows how to develop young horses. The fact that Craven Force keeps being sent out suggests the team still believe there is something worth finding. In racing, that quiet persistence from a trainer often says more than the results column does.