Shimmering Spirit

What does offer a little hope is who is doing the training. Nigel Tinkler operates out of Langton in North Yorkshire and has sent out 37 winners already this season — that is a yard in serious form, getting horses fit and ready to win races. Tinkler is not a trainer who struggles to get results, which means Shimmering Spirit's lack of success so far is unlikely to be down to poor preparation. More likely, the horse simply needs time, the right race, or the right conditions to click.

Having raced just yesterday, Shimmering Spirit is very much a work in progress. At three years old there is still plenty of time for things to turn around, and horses trained by busy, successful yards like Tinkler's do sometimes take a handful of races to find their feet before suddenly showing what they are capable of. Whether that moment is coming soon is anyone's guess — but the trajectory, at least, is pointing in the right direction.