Why Because

That said, there are small signs of life buried in those numbers. Four finishes in a row, including two fourth-place efforts, suggest the horse is at least running within itself and finding its level. The ninth-place finish is the one blot, but the more recent form points to a horse that is gradually creeping closer rather than drifting further away. It raced just yesterday, so whatever Paul Midgley saw, he clearly thinks there is more to come.

Midgley trains out of Westow in North Yorkshire and has had a productive season — 37 winners already, which is a solid return for a yard of this size. That context matters. This is not a trainer throwing a horse at races and hoping for the best; Midgley knows how to place a horse and get it to win. The fact that Why Because is still being campaigned actively suggests the yard believes a breakthrough is possible, even if it has not arrived yet.