Washington Heir

That said, Washington Heir is still active. It raced just five days ago, which means the team clearly hasn't given up on finding the right opportunity. At Class 5 — the entry level of British racing — it has gone winless in three of its appearances at that grade, so even at the easiest end of the sport, the breakthrough hasn't come.

Where things get more interesting is the yard behind it. Tony Carroll, based in Cropthorne in Worcestershire, has sent out 134 winners already this season. That is a genuinely busy, productive operation — the kind of stable that knows how to place horses and find races they can win. The fact that Washington Heir hasn't found its way into the winner's column yet isn't necessarily a reflection on its potential; Carroll's team will have seen plenty of horses who took time to click. Whether Washington Heir becomes one of those success stories, or simply one of the many that never quite get there, is the question still to be answered.