Arbaawy

What makes those numbers worth paying attention to is where Arbaawy has been doing it. Four of its nine races have come at Class 2 level — among the better races in Britain — and it has held its own each time without winning any of them. That is not embarrassing; that is a horse competing near the top of the ladder. Plenty of horses never get a sniff at that level. The challenge now is converting that presence into a result.

The recent run of form tells a consistent story: third, third, fifth, third, third, fourth across the last six outings. There is barely a bad run in there. Arbaawy keeps finishing in the same postcode as the winner without ever quite being the winner. Whether that changes with a slight drop in class, a different track, or simply a race that sets up better on the day is the question everyone around the horse will be asking.

The yard behind Arbaawy is John Butler's operation in Newmarket, one of British racing's most famous training towns. Butler's team has sent out 34 winners already this season, so this is not a horse sitting in a quiet backwater — it is trained by someone who clearly knows how to get horses ready to win. The fact that Arbaawy keeps placing in decent company suggests the team believes a first win is a matter of when, not if. Racing on just a day ago, the horse is fit, active, and clearly still being aimed at opportunities. Patience, as the form book keeps hinting, may soon be rewarded.