Corduroy

Jockey Daniel Muscutt has been the regular partner, riding Corduroy in five of its nine races without a win to show for it. That kind of long-term partnership without reward can sometimes mean a trainer is still figuring out what brings the best out of a horse — trying different trips, different conditions, different tactics. Trainer Steph Hollinshead, based at Upper Longdon in Staffordshire, has found the winner's enclosure seven times already this season, so the yard clearly knows how to get horses ready to win. Corduroy just hasn't been the one to deliver it yet.

The horse typically competes at Class 6, which is the entry level of British racing — races designed for horses still trying to get off the mark or those who have struggled to win at higher levels. Going winless from three attempts at that level is a reminder that even at the lowest rung, winning races is genuinely hard. With two places from nine races overall, Corduroy has shown enough to suggest it belongs in these races — it just hasn't been able to put its head in front when it counts. Whether that changes soon is the question worth watching.