Elashgar

Looking at those last six runs in reverse order, the picture starts badly: a ninth, an eighth, and a third. Then there is a gap in the record, followed by a second place, and most recently a tenth. That second place is worth holding onto. Finishing runner-up means Elashgar has shown it can mix it with horses good enough to beat it, which counts for something when you are still searching for a first win.

The horse typically races at Class 4 level, which sits in the middle of the British racing ladder — competitive enough that winning is not straightforward, but not the rarefied air of the very best races. Elashgar has run three times at that level without winning, so the task remains unfinished. Whether a drop in grade might unlock something, or whether the current level is where this horse belongs and just needs things to fall right, is the question the team at Averham Park will be weighing up.

That team is trained by Kevin Frost, whose yard in Nottinghamshire has sent out 23 winners this season — a solid, productive operation that knows how to place horses to win races. Frost is not a trainer who lets horses drift without purpose, so it is reasonable to assume Elashgar is being set up for a moment rather than just filling a field. The fact the horse raced just yesterday and remains active suggests the team is keeping the horse busy and looking for an opportunity to come good.

Six races in, no wins, but two places and a yard that clearly believes in the horse. Elashgar has not shown brilliance yet, but it has not disgraced itself either, and in racing, the difference between a promising young horse and a frustrating one is often just one afternoon where everything clicks.