Ice Cube

What gives the team genuine reason for optimism is who is doing the training. Richard Spencer operates out of Newmarket — the heartland of British flat racing — and his yard has sent out 30 winners already this season. That is a yard in form, which matters more than people might think. Horses trained by handlers on a hot streak tend to be well-prepared, well-placed, and confident in their routine. Ice Cube hasn't delivered yet, but it is not being looked after by a struggling outfit hoping for a lucky break.

At three years old, there is also plenty of time. Some horses of this age are still figuring out what racing is actually about, and a five-race sample is genuinely small. The recent third place — recorded just yesterday, so this horse is very much in active work — suggests the penny might slowly be dropping. Whether Ice Cube can turn a place into a win is the question worth watching.