Houndswood Willow

At three years old, there is still plenty of time, and the fact that Houndswood Willow raced just yesterday means this is a horse very much in the middle of its season. Tom Dascombe's yard at Upper Lambourn has been in solid form this campaign, sending out 22 winners — roughly one every week or two, which is a healthy clip for a British yard — so the infrastructure and expertise are there if this horse can find its feet.

The honest assessment right now is that Houndswood Willow is a work in progress. Not every three-year-old clicks immediately, and trainers of Dascombe's experience tend to keep running young horses through their early education even when the results aren't coming, knowing that the penny can drop quickly once it does. The next few races will tell a lot.