Donna Nook

Her recent form, however, tells a more interesting story. She has been placed in five of her last six races, including a win three months ago at Ripon. That consistency suggests she has found a level where she competes well, even if she is not quite at her best. The most recent race, just a day ago, saw her run fourth, which is respectable form for a horse that has spent most of her career grinding away at modest levels.

Donna Nook performs noticeably better when asked to run between seven furlongs and a mile — she has won 1 of her 9 races at those distances, a 11% win rate, compared to her overall record. That sweet spot in distance seems to suit her, and it is the kind of detail that trainers and jockeys file away for future opportunities. Her main pilot, Daniel Tudhope, has partnered her five times and won on her once, giving him a respectable 20% win rate aboard her. David O'Meara's Upper Helmsley yard has sent out 101 winners this season, so Donna Nook operates in a functioning unit with plenty of winners flowing through. At the tougher Class 4 level — where the better horses compete — she has drawn a blank from 8 attempts, which is unsurprising given her overall win rate. She is a horse that needs to drop down in class to win, and when she does, as she did at Ripon in June, she can deliver. She remains active and in work, which means more opportunities are coming.