Ebendi

The recent form makes for bleak reading. In the last six races, Ebendi has finished 5th, 9th, 7th, 7th, 7th, and 7th — a sequence so repetitive it almost looks intentional. Seventh place, over and over, like a horse that has found its lane and decided to stay in it. The team keep running Ebendi at Class 5 level, which is the entry-level tier of British racing, the division where horses go when they need to find the easiest possible race to get competitive. Ebendi has had 15 attempts at that level and is still waiting for a first win.

Jockey Conor O'Farrell has partnered the horse five times without success, giving them a shared record of zero wins from five races together. That is not a partnership that has sparked anything special yet. With Ebendi raced just yesterday and still active, there is clearly no shortage of willingness to keep trying — but at nine years old, with no wins on the board and form that rarely threatens the front of the field, the clock is ticking. Every racehorse deserves credit simply for showing up, and Ebendi has shown up 27 times. The wins, for now, remain a work in progress.