Ashen

The recent run of form makes for difficult reading. Over the last six races, Ashen has finished 4th, 11th, 7th, 7th, 7th, and 3rd (reading oldest to most recent), with that third place the sole bright spot in a stretch that otherwise shows the horse struggling to land a blow. At Class 5 — the entry level of British racing — Ashen has gone 0 from 7, which means even at the lowest rung of the ladder, rivals have consistently had the better of it. That is not a hopeless situation, but it does suggest the horse needs things to fall right.

What works in Ashen's favour is the yard behind it. Jim Goldie, training out of Uplawmoor in Lanarkshire, has sent out 88 winners already this season — that is a serious operation, and Goldie knows how to place a horse to give it the best chance. When a trainer of that calibre keeps running a horse, it usually means they see something worth persevering with. Ashen raced just yesterday, so it is very much in active campaigning, and the team clearly has not given up on finding the right opportunity.

For now, Ashen remains one of those fascinating puzzles on a racecard — a horse with experience but no wins, in the care of a trainer who clearly knows what he is doing. Whether the breakthrough comes soon is the open question.