Counting Cards

The partnership between horse and jockey Callum Rodriguez has yielded nothing yet: six races together without a win, though they continue to work together. Trainer Ed de Giles, who runs his yard from Ledbury in Herefordshire, has had a reasonable season with eight winners to his name, suggesting he knows how to get horses into form — but Counting Cards has not been the beneficiary so far. When stepped up to compete at the top of Class 4, the highest level this horse has tackled, the results have been particularly underwhelming: zero wins from three attempts at that standard. Recent form has been mixed, with finishes ranging from fourth place to ninth, suggesting the horse is inconsistent and still to settle into a pattern that works.

For a 4-year-old with ten races under its belt, the lack of a win is notable. Most horses find their level and notch at least one victory by this point. Counting Cards remains a work in progress — the kind of horse that keeps its the yard hopeful because it shows enough to place regularly, yet frustrating because those placings never quite become wins.