Saint Etienne

The one genuinely encouraging context here is the yard behind the horse. Trainer Brian Ellison operates out of Norton in North Yorkshire and has sent out 43 winners this season alone — that is a stable in form, which at least means Saint Etienne is being prepared by people who know how to get a horse ready to win. Whether this particular horse can take advantage of that environment remains to be seen.

At this stage, Saint Etienne is a horse that needs to find some improvement in a hurry. Three races without troubling the judge is not a crisis — some horses simply take time — but there is nothing in the current record to suggest a breakthrough is imminent. The next run will be worth watching to see whether that fourth place was a sign of progress, or just a better day.