Kellebelle

What makes the picture more interesting is the trajectory. Cast your eye back through her last six races and you can see a horse that was finishing sixth, eighth, and tenth not long ago — well off the pace and seemingly going nowhere. But her last three outings have read 2-3-3, meaning she has placed in every one of them. That is not a horse in decline. That is a horse who has found something, perhaps better ground, a more suitable course, or simply the benefit of experience. She raced just yesterday, which tells you the team are keeping her busy and believe there is a race to be won.

She competes at Class 4 level, which sits in the middle tier of British racing — not the glamour end, but competitive enough that winning takes real ability. Her trainer, D J Jeffreys, operates a modest yard in Worcestershire that has sent out four winners this season, so they clearly know how to get a horse to the line first. The question is whether Kellebelle can translate her recent consistency into that elusive victory. Three places from seven races means she has been competitive roughly 43% of the time — nearly half her races have ended with her in the frame. Horses that place regularly without winning are often described as frustrating, but another way to read it is that she keeps showing up when it matters.

At five years old, she is not a young project still finding her feet — she is an experienced racer who now knows her job. If the form of the last three runs is anything to go by, it would be no surprise at all if Kellebelle turned one of those close finishes into a win in the near future.