Mistral Milly

Look at her last six races and a pattern starts to emerge. She has finished fourth twice, second once, and had one run where she didn't complete the course — alongside two performances that suggest the level she is pitched at may simply be slightly beyond her on most days. The second place is the moment to focus on: it proves she can mix it with her rivals and get close, even if the winner has usually found another gear when it matters most. Jockey Tom Bellamy has ridden her in six of those races without getting her to the line first, but they clearly know each other well, and that kind of partnership can be what finally unlocks a win.

She is trained by D J Jeffreys at a small yard in Hinton on the Green, Worcestershire. The team has sent out four winners this season, which shows they know how to get a horse ready to win — the trick now is finding the right race for Mistral Milly to be that horse. She almost always races at Class 4 level, which sits firmly in the middle tier of racing. Not the big occasions, not the bottom of the ladder either. It is a competitive enough grade that going winless in six races there is not shameful, but finding a slightly easier spot might be the move that changes her story.

At seven, time is not endlessly on her side, but she raced just yesterday and is clearly fit and active. Horses like Mistral Milly — honest, consistent enough to place, never quite over the line — are a staple of British racing, and there is always a race out there with her name on it. Whether Jeffreys and Bellamy can find it before the season is out is the question worth following.