Yahaira

That said, context matters with young horses. Two races is an incredibly small sample, and plenty of future winners have looked unremarkable at this stage. What gives Yahaira's story a more optimistic angle is who is doing the steering from the sidelines. Trainer Tom Dascombe, operating out of Upper Lambourn in Berkshire, has sent out 22 winners already this season — a healthy total that speaks to a yard in decent form and capable of getting horses ready to perform. When a trainer is firing in winners at that rate, it suggests the horses in their care are being prepared well, and a young horse like Yahaira is arguably exactly the kind of project a busy, confident yard can develop over time.

Yahaira raced just yesterday, so this is very much a live, ongoing story. The next run — whenever it comes — will be worth watching closely, because a step forward from a two-year-old after back-to-back racing experiences is entirely normal. At this stage, Yahaira is less a finished article and more a work in progress, with the most interesting chapters still to be written.