Aeroplane Blonde

The partnership with jockey Robert Dunne has been the most consistent thread through Aeroplane Blonde's career, with the pair teaming up five times together. The result, however, is the same each time: no wins. That said, a second place and a handful of competitive finishes hint that this is not a hopeless combination — more a case of close but not close enough.

Samuel Drinkwater's yard at Strensham in Worcestershire has had a reasonable season, sending out nine winners, so the operation clearly knows how to get horses winning. The fact that Aeroplane Blonde has not yet broken through is not down to a struggling stable. At Class 4, which is a solid but not elite level of racing, the horse has run four times without winning — suggesting that even at a manageable tier of competition, it has not yet found the right moment or the right conditions to deliver.

What makes Aeroplane Blonde worth watching, despite the blank win column, is that horses can be infuriatingly inconsistent before suddenly clicking into gear. It raced just yesterday, so it is fit and active, and that second place somewhere in the recent record is a reminder that it has been close. The trainer will be looking at that form carefully, knowing the ingredients are almost there. Whether Aeroplane Blonde eventually rewards the team's faith is one of racing's small, stubborn mysteries — but the answer could come any day now.