Cosmic Blizzard

The recent form makes for tough reading. Of the last six outings, only two have produced any kind of result worth noting — a second place and a fourth — while the other four produced nothing at the finish. A dash in the form book means the horse finished well outside the places, so seeing four of those in a row is not encouraging. The one bright spot is that second place, which at least shows Cosmic Blizzard can occasionally find something in the closing stages and get competitive.

The horse competes at Class 4 level, which sits in the middle of the racing ladder — not the elite end, but not the bottom rung either. Failing to win from four races at that level suggests this is a horse that is perhaps operating slightly above its natural ceiling, or one that is simply very difficult to win with. A yard that has sent out 49 winners this season — which, to put it plainly, is a healthy and productive operation — has yet to find the key to unlocking a win with this one. Trainer Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore, based in Milnathort in Perth and Kinross, clearly know how to get horses winning, which makes Cosmic Blizzard something of a puzzle on their books.

What keeps it interesting is that the horse raced just yesterday and is clearly still being campaigned actively. the yard — sorry, the team — have not given up. Sometimes a horse like this finds a race that suits, a trip that clicks, a day when everything falls right. It hasn't happened yet across nineteen attempts. But then, that's racing.