Vivre Le Reve

That said, there are reasons not to write it off entirely. The most notable is who is in charge. Ben Pauling's yard at Naunton in Gloucestershire has been in fine form this season, sending out 89 winners — that is serious output and puts Pauling firmly among the busier, more successful trainers operating right now. A trainer with that kind of momentum tends to know which horses are worth persevering with and which are not, so the fact that Vivre Le Reve is still running is itself a small signal of faith from the team.

The horse raced just one day ago, which means it is very much an active part of Pauling's string rather than a forgotten project. Whether yesterday's run offered any encouragement is the question worth watching. Sometimes it takes a young horse several attempts just to understand what racing is about, and at 4 years old there is still time for things to click. For now, though, this is a horse whose best days — if they are coming — still lie ahead.