Al Hofzan

The recent form tells an interesting story. Reading the last six results from most recent backwards — 4th, 5th, 3rd, 2nd, 4th, 10th — there is a clear improvement from that dismal 10th, with Al Hofzan gradually working its way closer to the front. A second place is tantalisingly close, and the consistency of those mid-pack finishes suggests a horse that is honest and tries hard, but has so far found one rival too good on every occasion.

Jockey William Cox has been in the saddle for six of those races and is yet to steer Al Hofzan to a win, though given the horse's overall record that is hardly a surprise. What it does suggest is that Cox knows this horse well by now — the relationship is there, and sometimes familiarity is the ingredient that eventually unlocks a win. Trainer Georgina Nicholls, based at Kingston Lisle in Oxfordshire, has sent out 11 winners already this season, so the yard clearly knows how to get horses to win. The question is whether Al Hofzan can be next on that list.

Most of Al Hofzan's racing has come at Class 5 level — the entry-level tier of British racing, where the competition is modest by design. Going winless in five races at that level is a concern, because if a horse cannot win here, the options start to narrow. That said, Al Hofzan raced just yesterday, which means it is very much in active training and its the yard clearly believe there is a win in there somewhere. Whether that belief is rewarded soon remains to be seen, but with five places from 10 races, this is a horse that belongs on a racetrack — it just needs everything to fall right on the day.