Upper East

Upper East, a three-year-old yet to trouble the judge, has run twice and finished fourth and sixth — placed without placing, if that makes sense. No wins, no official place finishes, just a pair of mid-pack efforts that suggest a horse still finding its feet. The most recent of those runs came just a day ago, so Upper East is very much an active project rather than a finished article.

At this stage there is simply not enough on the board to draw firm conclusions. Two races is a small sample, and three-year-olds can take time to click. The interesting question is whether Hannon's team, with all their experience of developing young horses, can find the right opportunity to unlock something better. For now, Upper East is a work in progress — and in a yard firing at this rate, the patience and know-how to turn that around is certainly available.